Fate: The Last Mage
by WolfieRed23
Summary: Fate is such a delicate thing...Rosalia Propheta knows that better than anyone. Having been born as the protector of the world, the Mage, and now branded as a l'Cie, she follows her best friend Hope along with some new friends on the most wild adventures she's ever been on and she starts to think...maybe fate isn't always set in stone.
1. Chapter 1:Prologue

_Fate...it's such a precious, delicate thing, don't you think? Some people think they can control their own fate, choose their own destiny. Others, however, think their fate was set in stone the day they were born, unable to change or shift. According to legend, my fate was set hundreds of years before I was born. The legend goes that when the first humans were created, the oldest sister begged the gods to allow her to protect her siblings and, in return, she would keep the world safe. The goddess Etro felt compassion for the sister and blessed her with the gift of magic, making her the Mage. When the sister fell in love and got married, she had a daughter. From then on, the oldest daughter of the same line always became the next Mage. My mother, Elena Propheta, was also the Mage while my father, Jacob Aduro, was in the Guardian Corps, though he left to marry my mother. Three years later, I was born and my mother was forced to abandon our family because she had been branded a l'Cie exactly on the day I was born. All she left me was her bead necklace, which showed I was the next Mage, and I've worn it ever since my father put it around my neck. Every night since she left, my mother used her powers to talk to me, telling me she loved me and how much she missed me. Even though I was only a baby, I still think I hear her voice sometimes. But, one day, PSICOM soldiers showed up at our front door and gave my father my mother's white ribbon, which she used to hide her l'Cie brand. They said nothing, only giving Dad the ribbion and leaving, telling us without words that Mom was gone. I can still see their eyes staring at me in my nightmares, as if they were wondering if I would turn out the same as my mother, the Mage and a l'Cie, the protector of the world and the enemy. Mom was the first in the long line of Prophetas, since Mages never changed from that first last name, to become a l'Cie. From then on, my insecurities grew even if Dad told me amazing stories of Mom and our neighbors, the Estheims, became like a family to me. I never used my magic, not once in 14 years. But...that all changed on one fateful day. Looking back on it, I feel like if I made just one different decision, my life would have turned out completely different. But now, I wouldn't imagine my story any other way. Would you like to hear it? It's kind of long, but if you're willing...than let me begin. It started when I went on a vacation with my father, my best friend, Hope Estheim, and his mother, Nora Estheim..._

* * *

Rosalia Propheta stood beside her father, Jacob Aduro, Hope Estheim, her best friend, and his mother, Nora Estheim. Rosalia was a 14 year old girl with shoulder length blonde hair with bright white streaks and gray eyes with blue specks. She wore a white tank top with an open gray vest, black jeans, black leather boots, an ankle length light pink and white sash with a leather belt around her waist, a white and silver bead necklace, a red headband and rose petals rested in her streaked hair. Around her right wrist was a white ribbon. Rosalia smiled a small smile as she watched the fireworks before she silently made a wish.

_I wish...I could be brave like Mom..._That was her wish, one she's had ever since she could remember when Jacob started telling stories of her mother, Elena. Just then, Rosalia's eyes were drawn to Hope's hand as he stood beside her. Ever since she was 10, she had had a crush on her best friend but she never told him. He would never know. After all, how could he like the Mage who was half a l'Cie? As that thought drifited through her mind, Rosalia gripped her wrist, right where her ribbon was. Under that ribbon was a faded l'Cie brand, meaning she wasn't a full l'Cie yet. According to her father, her mother had the same kind of brand before she left them in order to protect them. _My fate is coming...how much longer I have, I don't know..._She released her wrist as she felt Jacob's hand on her shoulder. He was telling her everything would be alright, she just knew it. Rosalia smiled softly at her father as he pulled her closer while they watched the fireworks. Since she wasn't looking, Rosalia missed Hope looking at her own hand before he too focused back on the fireworks.

* * *

_That day seemed like it always did...I never knew what would happen that night...that the Purge would come and take away everything from me while setting me on the path that would bring me to where I am now._

* * *

**Hello to everyone who is reading this! And if you've read my other stories, than yes, I am insane for writing a brand new story again. This story is basically a prologue to give you an insight to Rosalia's character and what her story will be. The whole Mage idea is based off of the White Mage class and it'll cause a lot of trouble for Rosalia. And the whole narrative thing is an older Rosalia telling her story in Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence-tracer of memories-. I thought it'd be a good way to tell the story and you'd see what Rosalia now thinks. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed and please review to let me know what you think! Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2:The fal'Cie

_It all happened so fast. One minute, Dad, Hope, Mrs. Estheim and I were watching the fireworks. The next, we were on a Purge train. Dad and Mrs. Estheim begged for Hope and me to be allowed to return home in exchange for them being Purged. Dad even tried to convince by using his old Guardian Corps status. It didn't work and we ended up on the train with a young woman who we befriended in line. Thanks to my powers, though I never wanted them at the time, I was able to learn her name but block out everything else about her. Mom has taught it to me before she was killed through her thoughts. Vanille, the girl we met, stayed close to us the whole time. I was terrified, I remember that very clearly. But Dad kept whispering to me that everything would be alright...I just didn't know the price he was willing to pay in order for me to be safe…It all really started when the group I would later learn is called NORA saved us._

* * *

Rosalia sat beside Jacob, wearing the Purge robe while he did not. She was clutching his hand tightly, the only hint of the terror and insecurity gripping her heart.

"You all okay?" A voice asked. The blonde girl looked up and saw four people approaching them. Instantly, she heard their names whispered in the back of her mind.

_Snow, Gadot, Lebreau and Maqui…_Right after that, the young girl cursed the power she was unwillingly wielding. Just then, Maqui fell to the ground beside Snow.

"Hey, careful with those." Snow warned but the blonde boy simply laughed. "Don't worry, no one's moving to Pulse today. We'll clear you a path out of here, so be ready to-"

"Wait! Let me fight with you!" A man cried, standing up.

"Yeah, you can't expect us to just sit here!" Another man added. Snow looked at Gadot and said something Rosalia couldn't hear, though she was more focused on Jacob as she saw something in his eyes spark. It was the same spark she saw whenever he tried to protect her.

"Dad…" She whispered so softly so that only her father would hear her.

"Please. Let us help." The first man said again. An explosion went off and Snow looked back before his gaze returned to the group and he said,

"Okay then. Volunteers front and center." Several people stood up and went forward. After a while, Nora and Jacob both stood up, their gazes locked.

"Mom?" Hope asked.

"Dad…" Rosalia whispered, knowing where this was going. The two looked back and Nora smiled,

"Don't worry." Jacob locked eyes with his daughter and said,

"Be safe. And trust yourselves and each other." Understanding the underlying message, Rosalia slowly nodded. The two walked over to the resistance group. When Snow saw them, seeing the rings on their fingers, he asked,

"You two sure?"

"Yeah." Nora stated, "Moms are tough."

"So are dads." Jacob added, nudging Nora slightly. The two had been best friends since childhood, just like Hope and Rosalia. They had vowed on the way that no matter what happened, their children would be kept safe. Nora smiled up at Jacob slightly before they walked behind Snow.

"Right." The resistance leader said.

"It's the last one, Boss." Rosalia heard Gadot say as she put her hand on Hope's, trying to reassure him. She _was _supposed to be the strong one in their friendship. Snow walked over to the kids sitting and held up the last gun, saying,

"Alright, last one. Somebody take it." Snow held it out right in front of Hope.

"No…I can't." The boy said as he scooted back. Rosalia scooted back to sit beside him, putting her hand on his arm. Vanille stood up and held her hands out to Snow.

"Here!" She smiled. Snow was shocked for a moment but he handed the girl the gun. As Vanille examined it, Snow said,

"Push comes to shove, keep 'em safe." He winked at the girl as she pretended to shoot the gun. Rosalia giggled quietly as she rubbed Hope's arm to comfort him.

* * *

_When I met Snow that day, I knew right away he was a big talker and an act now, think later kind of guy. But looking back now…I suppose I was both right and wrong. But I'll explain in more detail later. Anyways…_

* * *

"Alright, lay low and you'll be fine. We'll clear out the area." Snow instructed. As PSICOM soldiers ran up, Snow shouted, "We're going home together!"

"Come on! Everybody up!" Lebreau cried as none of the kids moved. Rosalia stood up with everyone else, trying to get Hope up as well but it didn't work.

"Right. New recruits-on me!" Gadot cried. The resistance began to run off and Snow ran in front of Jacob and Nora saying,

"Come on."

"Right." The two parents said in unison as they followed the group.

_Dad…be safe. _Rosalia thought as the two looked back at her and Hope.

"Time to go, kiddo." Just then, Lebreau pulled Hope to his feet. Nora and Jacob smiled before they ran off. Rosalia looked up at Hope, he had about an inch and a few months on her making him older, before she grabbed his arm and followed Vanille.

"Let's go." She said, sounding stronger than she actually felt. Though she smiled and encouraged people on the outside, inside she was as terrified as the rest of them.

* * *

_My dad was the last person that was blood related to me. Neither he nor my mom had any siblings and my grandparents had died before I could really get to know them. I always knew though…if he left me when I was still young, it would be to protect me…he told me once that he loved me almost a little more than he did my mom and that…I was the splitting image of her and was his hope for a better tomorrow._

* * *

Rosalia, Hope and Vanille ran across a platform when they saw the explosion…right where Nora and Jacob were.

"No!" Rosalia cried as she saw her father and Hope's mother falling. Jacob grabbed Nora's hand as Snow grabbed Jacob's as well as the platform, barely. Rosalia could tell both parents were injured, badly. Realizing their death was coming, Nora looked up and whispered,

"Get him home…please…"

"Her…too…" Jacob whispered.

"Hold on!" Snow cried, not willing to let the two go. However, Jacob's grip was still slipping even though his grip on Nora never faltered. The two smiled and closed their eyes in unison, succumbing to the afterlife that awaited them. Slowly, Jacob's fingers slid through Snow's and the parents fell. Snow screamed as they fell but Rosalia and Hope's were worse. They were screams of pure agony and sorrow as tears slipped down the blonde teenager's cheeks. Faster than she ever moved in her whole life, Rosalia clung to her best friend's arm and began to cry on his shoulder. Vanille put a hand on each teenager's shoulder as they shook when she suddenly pulled them, crying,

"Come on!" Rosalia instantly released Hope and wiped her eyes to try and pull herself together. If she got to emotional, her powers would burst out and make the situation first. Hope, on the other hand, was frozen where he stood, forcing Vanille to slap him as she cried, "We have to move!"

"Dad and your mom wouldn't have wanted us to die too." Rosalia added, knowing that could convince her frozen friend.

"Alright." Hope nodded as he let Vanille and Rosalia lead him away.

* * *

_When Dad died…I almost thought I heard his voice in my mind for the last time. He knew I would be able to hear him so I'm almost positive he said 'Don't be afraid of yourself, Rosa…Your mother and I will be watching over you.' When he died, I thought I would break that instant, which is why I clung to Hope so tightly and cried. But I knew if Hope and I were to survive that experience, I needed to be strong for the both of us. It took my entire will to keep my emotions locked up so Hope would be alright. He was all I had left and the person I cared about more than anyone else in the world._

* * *

Rosalia removed her white robe, pleased with that since the robe reminded her too much of what she remembered the Mage robe her mother wore looked like, and stood as the fal'Cie appeared.

"Hope, look." She whispered as her best friend, no longer wearing his robe either, stood as well. Just then, they both heard a little boy say,

"Mom…"

"Don't worry. We'll be okay." His mother whispered. Rosalia knew instantly that Hope was upset and took his hand in hers just as he always did when she felt sad. Hope squeezed her hand in thanks as he watched the mother and son. Just then, the two heard a robe being thrown on the ground. Turning, they saw Vanille for the first time without the robe on. The young woman smiled at the teens before she picked up the gun given to her by Snow and thrust it into Hope's hands. He released Rosalia's hand to hold the gun as Vanille stated,

"Here." Hope looked down at the gun before the two girls walked over and hugged him. "It's too much, isn't it?" Vanille whispered. The girls pulled back and Vanille smiled, "Face it later."

"She's right. We may have lost our parents but we'll get through this, I just know we will." Rosalia added with a small grin, her voice soft.

* * *

_Even though I was encouraging Hope to feel better…I was terrified and sobbing like a baby on the inside. Hope had always looked at me as if I was his hero at times, brave to the very end. Yet, he would later learn…the insecurities that practically ate at me alive._

* * *

Hope looked at the two girls when Vanille waved bye, crying,

"Ciao!" She then ran off.

"Wait up!" Rosalia cried as Hope cried,

"Hey! Wait!" The two teens ran after the older girl, neither wanting to be alone. While Hope relied on both girls for support, Rosalia needed the older girl to keep her façade of bravery on.

* * *

_Nobody saw who I truly was. But…even though I barely knew Vanille then, I relied on her more than I thought I could in such a short amount of time. Hope and Vanille were my only support at that moment and yet, neither of them knew the full extent of how lost I was until later…_

* * *

Rosalia followed Hope with Vanille by her side as he walked towards Snow.

"That's the one." He stated. Rosalia knew what he meant. Snow was the one who tried to save their parents and who they had died protecting. The girl put a hand on the boy's arm as Vanille walked up and asked,

"Didn't you have something to tell him?"

"Yeah." Hope nodded.

"Alright then!" Vanille smiled.

"But…I…" Hope stuttered.

"Come on, you know you won't feel better unless you talk to him." Rosalia said, knowing her friend needed to hear those words.

"I'll go with you." Vanille offered.

"So will I." Rosalia added, "Whatever we do, we do together, right?" It was a promise the two had made when they officially became best friends as little kids. Even if it was a little childish, the promise was something Rosalia cherished more than anything else in the world.

"What?" Hope asked. Rosalia shook her head, sighing with a slight chuckle. Suddenly, Vanille pushed Hope towards Snow.

"Go on!" She cried as the boy stumbled.

"It's not going to work." Rosalia told Vanille as Hope simply stood where he was. Vanille shook her head before she walked in front of Hope and cried,

"Hey!" Joining her, Rosalia cupped her hands around her mouth and cried,

"Hello!" Snow didn't hear them as he started up his ride, forcing the trio to cover their ears. They watched as he flew towards the fal'Cie. "Why's he going there?" Rosalia whispered to Hope as she crossed her arms thoughtfully. Hope didn't answer but the girl didn't mind. She was used to this, after all.

"Oh!" Vanille cried, reaching out towards Snow. "Wait! Come back!" As she started to run forward, Rosalia ran after her crying,

"Wait up!" When Hope caught up to the girls, they both noticed how down he looked.

"Hm? You okay?" Vanille asked.

"What's the matter?" Rosalia asked, tilting her head as she leaned towards her friend.

"I want to tell him, it's just that-" Hope started and reached out to grab both girls' wrists to support him. Rosalia flinched as Hope's hand, conveniently, surrounded her right wrist with his left hand, right on her ribbon…and her faded l'Cie brand.

"Say…" Vanille said after a minute. "You know how to fly this?"

"Yeah. I think so." Hope confirmed.

"Are you kidding, you're awesome with technology." Rosalia said, trying to appear normal even though she was on edge since Hope had held her wrist in his hand just a second before.

"Alright!" Vanille grinned before she pushed the boy into the vehicle, crying, "In you go!" Once Hope was in, Rosalia and Vanille followed. "That way!" Vanille pointed as they waited for Hope to start the vehicle.

"No, no…" Hope whispered as he shook his head and Rosalia knew he was freaking out over the fact that he would be going towards a _fal'Cie_. "If we go in there, that thing could-It could make us l'Cie." As he spoke, Rosalia's left hand slowly moved towards her wrist to hold it lightly, resisting the urge to cry in that instant. "This is…I don't think I can-" As Hope cut himself off, Rosalia reached out and enclosed one of his hands in hers as Vanille covered both handles, including both teens' hands in her own as she insisted,

"You _can _do it!"

"We believe in you, maybe you should start believing in yourself." Rosalia smiled when Gadot suddenly cried,

"What are you three doing?" He was running towards them, trying to stop them.

"Here we go!" Hope cried as he started up the vehicle and the three flew towards the fal'Cie, albeit a rocky flight. When Hope had steadied them slightly, Rosalia could hear Gadot screaming,

"Get back here! Do you hear me? Hey!" Ignoring him, Hope flew them towards the fal'Cie.

* * *

_That fal'Cie…it would forever change our lives, and our fates, more than I ever thought it could. I knew what was most likely going to happen if I went there but I knew I had to, for Hope. He will always be my best friend and, if I'm being honest here, I knew even then that I was in love with him, something most people would consider crazy. But I was the Mage than as I am the Mage now…crazy and impossible seem to define my life._

* * *

The three screamed as they crashed in the fal'Cie, their vehicle ruined. Both teenagers had landed on Vanille but they were all in pain. Groaning, Rosalia pushed herself up, holding her head as Vanille said,

"Wow, that was close."

"A bit too close for my taste." Rosalia groaned as she shook the pain in her head away while pushing away the urge to use her Cure magic. She was _never _going to use magic. Never.

"Now, where is the…" Vanille trailed off as she helped Rosalia stand up, handing her a potion as she did so. Rosalia nodded slightly in acknowledgement before she gulped the potion down as fast as she could. "Oops." Vanille said and Rosalia looked to see both she and Hope were looking at the crashed vehicle. She winced slightly, knowing the damage was _very _bad. "Well then…"

"I pretty sure no one else is here." Rosalia stated as she and Vanille looked around.

"Guess it's just us." Vanille agreed.

"What did you expect?" Hope asked. The two girls looked back to see the boy looking down. Rosalia walked over and knelt in front of her best friend as he continued, "Even soldiers know not to go near the fal'Cie. You become a Pulse l'Cie, and you're finished." Rosalia grabbed her wrist, hating the reminder Hope had, unintentionally, given her.

"What do you mean, 'finished'?" Vanille asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Haven't you heard, Ms.-?" Hope started.

"Vanille." Vanille cut in.

"Huh?" Hope asked, confused.

"Her name, duh." Rosalia teased as she stood up. Vanille nodded and asked,

"And yours?"

"Hope." The boy stated as the older girl helped him up.

"And I'm Rosalia, but my friends call me Rosa." The girl smiled as she shook the older girl's hand. Vanille smiled as she straightened both teens' clothes out.

"Thank you." The best friends thanked in unison.

"What were we thinking?" Hope asked.

"Stop that, Hope." Rosalia scolded as she grabbed the boy's hand.

"But Rosa-" He started.

"Stop it." She cut him off forcefully, gripping his hand tighter. Her eyes glared at him so fiercely, he was scared to speak. "So, what should we do now?" Rosalia asked as she turned to Vanille.

"Well, since we're here, let's look around!" Vanille suggested. Rosalia grinned, hiding her nerves.

"Sounds good to me." She nodded, a partial lie. It didn't sound good to her at all but she knew she needed to do this. Hope gave the girls a look so Rosalia pulled on his hand, crying, "Come _on_, Hope!" The boy sighed and followed the girls as they made their way up the steps.

"Oh, check this out!" Vanille cried excitedly.

"Hey!" Hope cried as he ran after the older girl, Rosalia still holding his hand.

"Wait up!" Rosalia added as they reached the girl only to see her climbing.

"Vanille! Where are you-" Hope started when they saw said girl reach for something before she came out, holding a staff. She jumped down and danced with it slightly before she asked,

"Well?"

"That's, uh…" Hope stuttered, unsure. Rosalia, on the other hand, released Hope's hand and clapped for the older girl, praising,

"It's perfect for you!" Vanille grinned in thanks as she continued to swing the staff around. Suddenly, a Pantheron jumped down and moved to attack them. Rosalia turned around with a gasp of surprise as Vanille ran forward and prepared to attack. Following her lead, the girl reached into the sheath on her right hip and pulled out her white, pink and light blue sword. She then reached into the sheath on her left hip, using her right hand, and pulled out her black and dark blue sword. She spun them in her hands before she held them in front of her. Jacob had taught her once he learned she refused to use magic, _ever_. Sighing, Hope reached to pull out his boomerang to help as well. Vanille and Hope attacked first, both from a distance. When the Pantheron moved to attack Vanille, Rosalia slid in front of her and used her white sword, Angel Wing, to slash at the beast before using both Angel Wing and her black sword, Demon Wing, to push it back. Both Hope and Vanille attacked again before the Pantheron was destroyed.

"Okay! Back to exploring!" Vanille grinned as she put her rod away. As Vanille led the teens, Hope asked,

"Your dad taught you, didn't he?" Rosalia looked away and asked,

"How'd you know?"

"You told me your dad met your mom when he was in the Guardian Corps, it's the only explanation." Hope answered. Rosalia nodded, having forgotten she told him that story. "Better stay close." Hope warned Vanille as she led the way.

"I know!" The older girl grinned at them as she turned around quickly before turning forward again. Rosalia giggled before she led Hope to Vanille. After walking in silence for a while, Hope asked,

"What am I doing here?"

"You're here to talk to Snow." As soon as she said that, the girl covered her mouth. She wasn't supposed to know his name.

"How'd you know that?" Hope asked, confused.

"Um…I heard one of his friends say it." Rosalia lied before she ran up to stand beside Vanille. She hated lying to Hope cause if he looked in her eyes, he knew it was a lie.

"So, Rosa…how long have you been a l'Cie?" Vanille whispered.

"H-how'd you know?" The younger girl asked, worried. And when she was worried, she stuttered.

"I saw how you grabbed your wrist when Hope talked about l'Cie." Vanille explained.

"Oh." Was all Rosalia could say.

"You can tell me. I won't tell." Vanille promised gently.

"It's…been a couple days." Rosalia admitted, "But…the brand isn't complete so I guess I'm like…half l'Cie and half human." Vanille nodded thoughtfully as they continued to walk.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Hope called out.

"Well, we won't know until we try, right?" Vanille smiled.

"How are we supposed to get out of here?" Hope asked.

"Hope, we'll figure that out later, quit worrying so much!" Rosalia called back, teasing.

"Gee, thanks Rosa." Hope called back. Rosalia grinned happily. She got him to joke slightly, even if he was mourning. As the three walked down a flight of stairs, Hope said, "Is that-? Hmm. I thought this place was supposed to be empty. That's his. Where is he?"

"Maybe we'll find him while we're exploring." Rosalia suggested when a few Zwerg Scandroid attacked them. "Everyone take one!" Rosalia cried as she started attacking one, swiping her swords and spinning to avoid any counterattack the robot had. With one final strike, the robot was destroyed along with the other two. "Yes!" Rosalia cried with a grin. The two teenagers again followed Vanille as she jumped over some boxes.

"Where do we go now?" Hope asked.

"Let's answer that later." Rosalia stated as they ran into two Pantherons. Rosalia struck first with a unique move her father taught her. She ran forward, threw Demon Wing so it was spinning towards a Pantheron, jumped in order to flip over the enemy and caught the sword after it struck the beast. Vanille and Hope attacked the Pantherons, giving Rosalia time to get back to them. Just as she reached them, they had defeated one Pantheron. Hope attacked first, followed by Vanille and when the Pantheron charged, Rosalia dug Angel Wing into the ground and used it as a support to jump up and kicked the beast in the face, sending it reeling backwards before it was defeated. As they continued walking, Hope asked,

"Aren't you scared?"

"Not so much." Vanille answered.

"Not as bad as I thought I'd be." Rosalia added with a small grin.

"You two really don't get it." Hope said, shocked both girls didn't understand. Vanille and Rosalia stopped and glared slightly at Hope before Vanille started,

"Pulse fal'Cie and l'Cie are bad news."

"That's why Cocoon kicked them out." Rosalia continued.

"Live too close to the fal'Cie?" Vanille added.

"One way ticket to Pulse!" Rosalia finished.

"That's the Purge in a nutshell." The girls finished in unison as they turned back to Hope.

"If they catch us here, they'll Purge us too." Hope said, "And then-"

"What's your problem?" Vanille asked.

"I'd like to know that too, besides the obvious." Rosalia added. Hope had a lot of walls around himself, yes, but he's never been this bad before.

"What's my-? Pulse is hell on earth!" Hope cried. The three were silent until Hope found himself being hugged by the two girls.

"We'll be okay! Calm down!" Vanille assured. Rosalia was simply silent until Hope pushed them away.

"Get off me." He stated, not looking at either of them.

"Hope…" Rosalia whispered as her right hand gripped right where her heart was.

"Serah? Can you hear me? Where are you?" Snow's voice echoed as he yelled. All three looked around, not knowing where he was.

* * *

_When Hope pushed me away…it hurt me more than I ever thought it would. Maybe it was because it felt like he was shutting me out after 14 long years of friendship. Or…maybe it was because it felt like he was indirectly telling me he would never love me._

* * *

"Hang on, baby! Your hero's on the way!" Snow yelled again sometime later. Suddenly, stairs rose and the floor shifted slightly.

"He _is _here." Hope stated, "Calling himself a hero…" Sensing his grief, Rosalia walked over to Hope and, hesitantly, entwined his hand with hers. Hope didn't moved, though his grip tightened around her hand.

"He's coming our way." Vanille said as she walked up to the teens.

"What should I do?" Hope asked, looking at the girls nervously.

"Be honest." Rosalia advised.

"Tell him what you need to!" Vanille added.

"But nothing I say will change what happened." Hope said, looking away though he didn't release Rosalia's hand or loosen his grip. Rosalia squeezed his hand tighter, trying to bring some comfort to him.

"We could just run away." Vanille said.

"Whatever you feel is right." Rosalia added. Hope looked at the two and nodded. Unfortunately, as they ran, two Zwerg Scandroids got in their way. All it took was a couple good strikes and the robots were down and out.

"Yay us!" Vanille grinned as they all put their weapons away. Rosalia giggled slightly. As the three ran up stairs to reach a door, Hope whispered,

"Mom…" Rosalia instantly grabbed her friend's hand and whispered,

"It'll be okay."

"How…are you so strong? How are you…fine?" Hope asked as he looked at his friend.

"Because…I know both my dad and your mom are in Heaven or wherever together with my mom. I also know…that they're watching over us and making sure we're safe." Rosalia smiled up at her friend as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you…" Hope whispered. Rosalia cocked her head to the side and asked,

"For what?"

"For…just being you." Hope explained. Rosalia smiled before she kissed her best friend and crush on the cheek, whispering,

"You're welcome." As they walked, Hope called out,

"Please don't go looking for trouble."

"And yet, you're younger than her." Rosalia teased before she ran up to follow Vanille. Hope sighed and ran after them, falling in step beside them.

"You two are so cute." Vanille giggled as they joined her.

"We're just best friends, Vanille." Rosalia said, shaking her head. Luckily, she wasn't blushing at the notion of her and Hope being anything more at the moment.

"Alright, alright." Vanille conceded, though she was still giggling. As the two ran through the door and saw the Pantherons, Hope cried,

"We can't fight things like that!"

"We've been doing it this whole time!" The girls replied in unison as they took out their respective weapons. While Hope and Vanille attacked, Rosalia worked on keeping them safe, blocking each shot the Pantherons tried and even taking them for her friends.

"Can't we take it a little slower?" Hope asked as he helped the weakened Rosalia back to her feet since she fell. He forced her to drink a potion and then another one before she interrupted him as he was about to stuff the third one down her throat.

"Hope, I'm _fine_!" She cried, pushing the third one away.

"Sorry." Hope whispered as he pocketed the last one.

"It's alright, you just care." She smiled gently. Hope gave her a grateful look before they turned to Vanille.

"Ready?" The older girl asked.

"Yep." Rosalia nodded before she grabbed Hope's wrist and pulled him to walk side by side with Vanille.

"Whoa." Hope gasped as they walked through the door.

"This is amazing." Rosalia added, her eyes wide in wonder as she, along with the other two, looked around in awe. Suddenly, monsters started approaching the trio from all sides. "Not so amazing anymore." The girl corrected as the trio ended up back to back.

"What are they?" Hope asked in fear.

"Cie'th! L'Cie who failed!" Vanille explained, "This is what happens-when l'Cie don't complete the Focus the fal'Cie gave them." Suddenly, the three heard a cry that Rosalia identified as Snow as the resistance leader joined them.

"Let's even these odds!" Snow cried and Rosalia felt glad to have some added strength. She took out her swords and held them out, her grip tight. Snow threw a Hand Grenade as Vanille waved her rod, Hope threw his boomerang and Rosalia ran forward, striking one of the Ghouls. With the added strength, the group was able to defeat the Cie'th easily, though to get rid of the last one Snow had to throw a grenade which threw Rosalia straight into Hope's arms a second after he caught his boomerang.

"Thanks." Rosalia whispered as she took the offered potion and gulped it down, healing herself quickly. As soon as the girl took the potion from him, however, Hope feel to the ground while Vanille hunched over. Even with the potions added effects, Rosalia still felt exhausted.

"How did you get in here? You've gotta leave." Snow said. Vanille and Rosalia looked at Hope, all three still catching their breath, before they turned back to Snow and gave him sheepish looks with an added giggle from Vanille. "Okay listen. Find someplace to hide and keep quiet." Snow instructed, "Once I find Serah, we'll all leave together." The resistance leader started walking away and the three's gazes followed him as he called back, "You'll be home in time for dinner."

"You-" Hope started.

"Wait!" Vanille and Rosalia interjected in unison. Snow stopped and Vanille asked,

"Who's Serah?"

"My wife. Future wife, that is." Snow answered.

"So…your fiancée." Rosalia summed up thoughtfully. Snow nodded before he turned back around.

"She's a Pulse l'Cie." He added. Rosalia gasped in shock, both of her hands coming up to cover her mouth in her shock.

"Oh no." Vanille whispered sadly.

"She's here somewhere, along with that fal'Cie." Snow continued, "I've gotta find her and set her free."

"What's wrong with you?" Hope shouted as he stood up. "Why do you want to help a l'Cie? They're the enemy!" Snow turned back around to look at the boy as he continued to shout, "How can you save a l'Cie and not…And not…That's insane!" For once in her life, Rosalia didn't grab Hope's hand to calm or comfort him, she couldn't. She was a l'Cie or at least half. Who would ever want to help her? She really was the same as her mother, destined to protect the world yet forced to be its enemy.

"Probably." Snow nodded, "But I gotta do something, right? I'll be back!" With a wave, the resistance leader turned around and left the trio.

"Should we wait around for him, and hitch a ride?" Vanille asked after a moment of silence.

"I'd rather go to Pulse!" Hope cried in frustration, causing Rosalia to wince. "Why is this happening to me? When they found the fal'Cie the other day, we were just visiting Bodhum. But the army took us. Threw us on that train…And because of that guy, Mom is-"

"Do you really think…your life is so horrible right now?" Rosalia whispered, forcing Hope to look at her. The boy stood up to try and look in her eyes, which she was purposefully trying to keep away from his own. She was fingering the white ribbon that hid her l'Cie brand, knowing what she had to do. "You don't know everything that's going on, Hope…you don't know what I'm dealing with…"

"Rosa…?" Hope whispered, his voice sounding scared. He's never seen the girl like this before. She was the brave one in their friendship, the strong one and yet he could physically hear her breaking in her voice. Rosalia closed her eyes and let a single tear fall from her eyes as she untied the ribbon and let it fall to the ground before she showed Hope her wrist. The boy gasped as he saw the faded yet extremely recognizable brand. "You're…a l'Cie…" Hope whispered in shock.

"Half, yes…" Rosalia whispered as more tears fell. Instantly, Hope's arms surrounded the girl. He hugged her tightly as her own arms surrounded him and her tears hit his shoulder.

"It's okay. We're okay." He whispered but even he felt they were a lie. She had had nightmares as a child of becoming a l'Cie and failing. Whenever she had slept over at his house and had them, she had crawled into bed with him and he had held her tightly as she cried. Those were the few moments when he was strong and she was weak. Now, it was all a reality. Of course, he never knew the whole truth, that she would be considered a failed Mage for becoming a l'Cie…and then becoming a Cie'th unlike when PSICOM killed her mother, not allowing her to finish her Focus, though Rosalia never knew what it was.

"Am I…your enemy now?" Rosalia whispered as the fear gripped her heart. She couldn't live knowing Hope was both afraid of her and hated her. Just then, Snow's voice cut in, saying,

"Hey again." The teenagers pulled away and Vanille put a hand on Rosalia's arm as she tried to get herself under control.

"Hey." Vanille nodded before she turned to the boy and girl. "Let's go with him." She insisted.

"What?" Hope gasped, looking at the older girl in shock.

"You've gotta talk to him, Hope." Vanille reminded him, "If you don't take this chance, you'll regret it forever." Rosalia nodded in agreement as she continued to rub her eyes.

"Okay." Hope agreed with a nod.

"Okay." Vanille smiled as Rosalia bent down and picked up her mother's ribbon before she tied it around her left wrist. Hope knew what she was now, yet she couldn't just leave the ribbon behind.

"Let's go!" Snow grinned as the trio began to follow him.

"No." Hope whispered to Rosalia as they walked. The blonde looked at him in confusion. "You will never be an enemy to me."

* * *

_I never told Hope, but hearing that gave me a confidence I never had before. _He _gave me strength and bravery I never had before in my life. In his arms, I felt safer than I had ever been in my entire life. I knew he hated l'Cie more than anything else and yet he still promised me everything would be alright. He had held me just like he did every night when I had a nightmare and either snuck or slept over at his house. He always was my safe haven and always will be._

* * *

"Serah!" Snow shouted as the four went down a lift and found three people. Instantly, Rosalia knew their names. Sazh, Serah and…Lightning. The last one, a pink haired woman dressed in what she thought was a Guardian Corps uniform, had so many walls around herself that Rosalia couldn't hear her real name. Snow jumped off the lift and ran up to grab the girl Rosalia knew was Serah's hand. "Serah." He whispered, clutching her hand tightly as her sister, the only other information about the older woman Rosalia could find out, held her tightly.

"Is that…my hero?" Serah whispered.

_So that's where Snow got his whole 'I'm a hero' attitude. _Rosalia realized as she, Hope and Vanille joined the group. Vanille gasped as she saw Serah while Rosalia grabbed Hope's hand, still feeling weak from showing him her brand.

"Let's get you out of here." Snow said.

"Hands off. I'm taking her home." Lightning stated.

"Sis, I-" Snow started but Lightning cut in harshly,

"I'm not your sister! You couldn't protect her. It's your fault she-"

"You can save us." Serah whispered softly, cutting Lightning off.

"Serah?" Lightning asked, not understanding.

"You can save us." Serah repeated, "Protect us all. Save…Cocoon."

"Save Cocoon?" Lightning repeated, "Serah? That was your Focus?"

"Anything, I'll do anything." Snow swore, "Leave it to me-you'll see. I'll protect Cocoon! I'll save everyone!"

"Somehow, I'll make things right." Lightning promised.

* * *

_Serah…she was one of the luckiest people in the whole world. I have never seen anyone in my whole life with so many people so…dedicated to her. She had both Snow and Lightning looking out for her, willing to protect her and save her no matter what happened. I always wished for a family like that…I'm lucky that I have one now._

* * *

"You just relax." Snow whispered to Serah with a smile.

"Thank you." Serah whispered with a smile. The pink haired girl closed her eyes and began to glow blue before she floated into the air.

"Serah!" Lightning cried, worried. Rosalia gasped in awe as the girl turned to crystal, crying only a single tear that landed in Snow's hand. Squeezing Hope's hand, Rosalia made a silent wish. That she too would become crystal instead of becoming a Cie'th. Crystal was a blessing compared to the other fate offered.

"Serah! Serah!" Snow cried as the crystallized girl floated slowly back to the ground.

"Why is she turning to crystal?" Vanille whispered.

"L'Cie who fulfill their Focus are transformed into crystal and gain eternal life." Hope explained, squeezing Rosalia's hand in reassurance.

"Just like the stories say." Sazh nodded.

"It's beautiful…" Rosalia whispered in pure awe.

"Serah…sweet dreams." Snow whispered.

"Sweet dreams?" Lightning cried as she walked over to Snow, pushing Sazh out of the way as she did. "She's not sleeping! Serah's…she's-" Lightning pushed Snow away from her roughly and looked at her crystallized sister, obviously mourning.

"She's alive!" Snow cried.

"No." Lightning stated, not believing it.

"The legend! Remember the legend!" Snow insisted, "L'Cie who fulfill their Focus turn to crystal and gain eternal life. It's the same with Serah! Eternal life! She's not dead! Serah's my bride-to-be. I promised to be hers forever! I don't care how many years I have to wait-" Lightning snapped then, punching Snow straight to the ground.

"It's over!" She cried, "Open your eyes and face reality!" Rosalia looked down at her brand as Lightning's statement got to her.

_If becoming a l'Cie means either becoming crystal or becoming a Cie'th…than, to Lightning, I am knocking on death's door either way. _She thought when suddenly, the whole fal'Cie shook. Hope released her hand and fell to the ground, clutching his head.

"Oh! Wait." Sazh cried.

"What now?" Vanille cried.

"What's going on?" Rosalia cried as she knelt down beside Hope, her hands on his back to steady him.

"The army!" Sazh answered

"What's happening?" Vanille cried as the shaking continued.

"Must be a Sanctum strike." Sazh said, "Bring down the Vestige and the fal'Cie with it!"

"Aren't they taking it back to Pulse?" Vanille asked, "That's what the Purge was, right?"

"All they care about is getting everything from Pulse off Cocoon." Sazh explained, "Dead or alive, it's all the same." Hope reached up and grabbed Vanille's hand, gasping,

"We can't stay here! They'll kill us!"

"Hope, you have to calm down!" Rosalia cried as she held Hope tightly when the shaking slowly subsided. The group looked up and watched as a red l'Cie mark vanished.

"I'll be right back. Hold on." Snow whispered as he held Serah's crystallized hand. Rosalia held Hope's arm in case he had another panic attack, which she knew was a given.

"Trench Coat. Where you going?" Sazh asked as Snow made his way to the stairs.

"Date with the fal'Cie." Snow stated, "Got some things to talk about."

"What?" Sazh cried, "You're gonna ask _it _to help her? Are you out of your mind, kid? That thing wants to chew us up and spit us out!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Snow cried as he whirled around in his frustration. Sazh didn't have an answer and Lightning silently walked past Snow. "Lightning?" He whispered, shocked, as he followed her.

"Here we go." Sazh sighed as he too followed the two. Vanille, Hope and Rosalia, on the other hand, stayed back with Hope clinging to Vanille's arm and holding Rosalia's hand in a tight grasp.

* * *

_We were all scared, even Lightning, though she'd never admit it. The three of them were going to fight the fal'Cie while Vanille and I were holding on to Hope, trying to be strong for him even if we were terrified on the inside. I knew what was going to happen to me, though. A half l'Cie going towards the fal'Cie could only mean they'd become a full l'Cie when they left. But I had accepted it by that point, even if I was still shaking and insecure on the inside. I was going to fulfill my Focus and accept becoming crystal. Because…that way…I can always remember my family, my friends…and Hope._

* * *

The group entered to find the fal'Cie, the two young members of their group taking up the rear.

"So this is…the fal'Cie." Hope said as they entered. Rosalia sucked in a deep breath as she stared at it while Hope squeezed her hand to keep her calm.

"Serah's a crystal now." Snow said, "You gave her a Focus, and she did it! You got what you want! Now let her go!" The fal'Cie remained silent and in his despair, Snow fell to his knees and began to beg, "Please. Turn her back! I'll be your l'Cie instead!"

"Fine, you go on begging." Lightning said as she took out her gunblade. "Like this thing gives a damn what we want!" Lightning ran forward and started to attack the fal'Cie, letting he anguish and sorrow guide her until she fell back.

"Lightning!" Snow cried. Lightning breathed heavily before she said,

"It's this thing's fault the Purge started, and it's people who are dying. Serah told us to save Cocoon. That means this thing needs to die!" Suddenly, the ground lit up and slowly, parts that looked like a machine came out and the glow increased tenfold.

"I can't see!" Hope cried. When the light faded, the group saw none other than the fal'Cie Rosalia knew was called Anima.

"What the-" Sazh cried.

"It's the fal'Cie! Anima!" Rosalia cried, not even paying attention to what she was saying. She focused on the fal'Cie, knowing what was going to happen. Suddenly, she heard Hope cry out and turned to find him on the ground. "Hope!" She cried, running after him with Vanille. "Hope! Snap out of it!" She cried, shaking her best friend. She wasn't paying attention to the battle when there was a flash of light and the whole group was floating in blackness.

"Where are we?" Lightning asked. Rosalia looked around, fear shining in her eyes brightly. She's had a dream like this and she woke up the next morning with a faded l'Cie brand. She knew what was going to happen. Bells rang as they floated around.

"What's going on?" Snow asked. Rosalia kept her eyes on the fal'Cie, watching it change. Suddenly, green light shot out and wrapped around each of them. Rosalia cried out as it struck her wrist where her brand was. She looked down and saw it become a solid brand. Her eyes widened suddenly as the fal'Cie released the group and they fell. Rosalia suddenly saw something. It was hazy and she could barely make it out, but it was there. A monster of some kind.

* * *

_I knew the instant that I walked towards the fal'Cie that this would happen to _me_. The fact that these five others were now sharing my fate seemed cruel to me, even though I knew it wasn't my fault. But the entire time after that image of what my Focus was faded, I heard my Mom._

* * *

_Rosa, don't give up. I believe in you._

_Mom… _Rosalia thought as she floated through unconsciousness.

_Don't give in yet. Even though I lost, you will succeed. Believe in yourself just as you believed in your father, myself and Hope…if you do that, you will win in the end._

* * *

_That small conversation…that's the reason I continued fighting on, even if it seemed my fate was decided already._

* * *

**There's the chapter! Man, it's so long! I hope you all enjoyed it, especially the Rosalia/Hope parts. The hug one is inspired by the reunion between Vaan and Penelo in Final Fantasy XII since I find it so cute and it worked. It also hints at some of my favorite Final Fantasy ships, the top two being Serah/Noel (Please don't judge me, it works in my mind.) and Penelo/Vaan. Oh and in terms of Rosalia's weapons, those are inspired by Oathkeeper and Oblivion from Kingdom Hearts, the Keyblades of the character Roxas. Rosalia's similar to Roxas so I felt variances of those weapons would work. Anyways, thanks to MCRDanime, SNOzzie6, animebella09, pokecats649, roelaine and GemmaJoWhiting1 for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 41 readers! Again, I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter and please review to let me know your opinion on Rosalia. I'll try to update again soon, but we'll see. Later!**


	3. Chapter 3:The Crystalized Lake Bresha

"Mom!" Rosalia cried as she sat up only to see her mother was not there and she was laying on what appeared to be crystal. "Whoa…" She whispered in awe as she looked around, trying to find anything recognizable. However, nothing was noticeable and so, the blond girl was forced to stretch out her light. "Lake Bresha…of course." She sighed, running her hand through her hair when she noticed her wrist. On the inside of her right wrist was a l'Cie brand, which Rosalia had expected. What she hadn't expected was the orange, silver and white beads branded into her skin, crossing over her wrist, and the symbol of Etro on the outside of her wrist. "The brand of the Mage…" Rosalia whispered in shock. The brand would only appear when a Mage is close to becoming the full Mage. The beads represented the ones around her neck, minus the orange ones which came when she would transform for the first time. The beads themselves were meant to represent the sun, moon and stars. Etro's symbol, on the other hand, represented her white streaks. The streaks also marked her as one with Etro's power. It terrified her to see that brand on her wrist even more than the l'Cie one, as it seemed to bind her to a fate she never wanted.

"Rosa…?" Rosalia looked over, noticing for the first time that she wasn't alone. Lying around her was Lightning, Snow, Sazh, Vanille and Hope, who just spoke.

"Hope." Rosalia smiled as she stood up and ran over to kneel beside her best friend.

"You okay?" Hope asked.

"I've…been better." Rosalia admitted as she showed Hope her wrist. The silver haired boy's eyes widened in shock.

"The fal'Cie…it branded you. You're a l'Cie now!" Hope cried in shock. Rosalia nodded sadly when she noticed Hope's own hand. Right under his yellow band was a l'Cie brand. Hope's gaze followed hers and he cried out in shock.

* * *

_I spent the next several minutes trying to calm Hope down. He was my first responsibility, after all. With him, I could forget that I was destined to be the Mage, that I would probably never be with him in the way I wished I could be and that I had no chance of ever being happy in this life._

* * *

"Serah!" Snow shouted as one by one, the others woke up. As they got up, Hope sat with his face buried in his knees with his arms wrapped around them while Rosalia rubbed his back, trying to comfort him even though she knew this would take a long time for him to accept. "Is this…for real?" Snow asked as he looked around Lake Bresha. Rosalia reached down and felt the crystalized lake with her left hand while still rubbing Hope's back as the others walked around.

"This must be…Lake Bresha?" Sazh said, "I guess we fell from up there, and the lake turned to crystal? Help me out here! I mean, did the fal'Cie do this? How in the world did we end up here?"

"How should I know?" Lightning asked as Sazh obviously looked at her.

"We're alive. How?" Vanille asked, obviously still in shock of that one detail.

_That's actually what I've been wondering since I woke up. _Rosalia thought as she looked away from Hope and towards the group.

"Serah!" Snow cried, drawing several gazes to him. "No one survives a fall from that high, not without a miracle. Serah saved us!"

"Serah?" Lightning said, "Listen. It's all your fault she got-"

"Watch out!" Rosalia interjected as a Ghast, as her even more heightened senses told her, came forward.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Sazh cried as he moved out of the way.

"Watch out!" Snow cried, ignoring Rosalia's 'I just said that!', as he ran forward and pushed Lightning out of the way. He caught the Ghast's arm and threw it back before he punched it with his hand glowing blue. Rosalia knew he cast Blizzard cause she had a mental inventory of all magical spells in existence thanks to her status as the Mage. Snow gasped in shock as he held his arm. "What did I…just do?" He asked.

"You used magic!" Hope cried as he stood up, Rosalia following him and grabbing his arm to calm him down, though it failed miserably. Vanille looked at Hope before she cried out. Rosalia didn't turn, already knowing two more Ghasts were coming towards them.

_This is going to get _really _annoying. _She thought. Sensing everything that was coming towards her, knowing all the weaknesses of every monster she faced, those were the natural abilities of the Mage, though the older one got, the stronger they became as they headed towards being the full Mage.

"You used the power of a l'Cie." Hope continued, "The fal'Cie cursed us. We're l'Cie now!" Lightning took out her gunblade and got into a battle stance, stating,

"Right." Vanille and Snow joined her as the other three stayed back, Hope standing slightly in front of Rosalia, as if to protect her. Rosalia, on the other hand, watched the entire battle in complete awe. She had never seen magic in her entire life in a battle, only examples of it in her mental inventory or in an image her mother had sent to her when she was only a baby of the spell as it was cast. Even though she saw magic as a curse to her life, she had to think it was very beautiful. Everyone else on Cocoon thought magic was the work of the l'Cie, something evil unless wielded by the Mage, though one hasn't been seen for around 14 years and some thought the cycle of the Mage had ended and only attributed magic to evil. It all seemed to be a dream to Rosalia when the Ghast fell to the ground and Snow looked at the solid black brand on his arm.

"So we really are l'Cie." He stated as he turned around. Sazh sighed as he saw his own brand on his chest.

"Looks like it." He nodded.

"You too?" Snow asked, looking at Vanille and Rosalia.

"Yep. Right here." Vanille confirmed, showing the back of her left thigh where a brand was.

"Me too." Rosalia added, showing the inside of her wrist where the bold, black l'Cie brand was with the beads wrapped around the top and bottom of it. They crossed on the outside of her wrist and where they met was Etro's symbol.

"Okay." Snow stated.

"L'Cie to the last." Lightning said. Hope fell to his knees as Rosalia looked down at him sadly. She couldn't do anything now. He knew what they all were now…nothing could be done.

"Why me?" Hope said before he looked up and cried, "I don't even know you! But you have to go and attack that thing? Just leave me alone! It's your fault-it's your fault my-! You could've-!" Suddenly, Hope stood and yelled at Snow, "All of this is your and Serah's fault!"

"Watch it!" Snow cried, scaring the boy.

"Leave him alone!" Rosalia shouted, standing between Snow and Hope with her arms outstretched as the boy backed up on the ground. Her right hand sparked with light slightly but she clenched her fist, refusing to let the light out. When she heard Hope gasping, Rosalia instantly turned around and knelt beside him as Snow muttered,

"Sorry." Vanille and Rosalia put their hands on Hope's arms, forcing the boy to look up at them.

"Everything is gonna be alright. You'll see." Vanille smiled.

"Don't build those walls up higher. We'll get through this." Rosalia added before she and Vanille began to pull Hope up.

"Come on." Vanille encouraged, "Off we go!" The two girls began to lead the boy as the three adults began to follow.

"We'll be okay, don't worry." Rosalia whispered to Hope as they began to walk. A second later, Snow said,

"L'Cie, huh?"

"Yep. We're all playing for Team Pulse now." Sazh stated before he cried, "Why me?"

"For the record, we're _all _asking that question." Rosalia called back as she kept her hand in Hope's so he wouldn't completely shut her out.

"Trust the soldier to keep her cool through this mess." Sazh quipped as they walked, obviously referring to Lightning. Lightning just ignored Sazh, instead asking,

"Okay, if we don't know our Focus, how do we complete it?"

"I think…I saw it." Vanille said.

"Saw what?" Lightning asked.

"That is how a Focus comes down, people." Sazh explained, "The fal'Cie? They don't spell it out with clear-cut instructions. All you get is a hazy glimpse." Lightning and Snow looked at Sazh causing him to correct, "Well, that's what they say. You know, legends and all." Lightning then turned to the youngest members of the party and asked,

"Did you two see anything?" Hope turned away slightly and Rosalia reached out and put a hand on his shoulder to comfort and encourage him.

"I uh-I just…It's all kind of foggy, but…" Hope said, "I saw this big-I mean _towering _"

"Some kind of…monster…" Rosalia whispered in the only way she could phrase it.

"W-wait a minute." Sazh stuttered, "Hold on now. Did we _all _have the same dream?"

"Ragnarok." Lightning and Snow stated in unison. As the name registered to Rosalia, she suddenly gripped her head as she saw images flash behind her closed eyes of the monster, as she called it. The same one from the vision. She blinked several times as she came back and lowered her arms, her hand instinctively going to surround her right wrist where the brands of what she was were.

"So, we all saw the same dream." Sazh said, "We all heard that same voice." In confirmation, Vanille nodded and Rosalia whispered,

"Yep."

"You mean that was our Focus?" Hope asked, "But how are we supposed to know what to do from that?"

"That's the tricky part." Vanille said, "The dream's the only hint the fal'Cie gives us. Figuring out what to do with it-that's our job!"

"And a tough one at that." Rosalia whispered. _No wonder Mom had to leave…_She thought as a single tear slipped out of her eye but she wiped it away before anyone saw it.

"Okay, okay…We're Pulse l'Cie, right?" Sazh said, "Enemies of Cocoon! So, does that mean that our Focus is-? Are we supposed to-"

"Save her." Snow interjected.

"Say what?" Sazh and Rosalia asked in unison.

"Our Focus is to protect Cocoon." Snow continued.

"Really?" Vanille asked, "Okay, and why's that?"

"Serah told us." Snow answered, "Let's do it. We're all in this together. I'm gonna look for Serah. She ought to be nearby." With that, the resistance leader ran off.

"I'll come too!" Vanille cried before she followed him. "Wait!"

"Hey, wait up!" Rosalia cried before she followed as well, knowing Sazh, Hope and Lightning weren't too far behind. Besides, she wasn't just going to let anyone run around by themselves. Even if she was the youngest, she was going to help protect them, even without using magic.

* * *

_Looking back, I suppose I was already the Mage when I made that decision. The Mage's duty is to protect the people of the world and I had promised then that I would protect the ones in my party. Even though most people would classify the Mage as the girl with the good magic protecting people, I started doing it before I even accepted my powers. I was the powerless Mage at the time, yet later…I would become the full Mage. _

* * *

As they started walking, Snow said,

"We need to find a way out of here. We can worry about everything else later."

"That includes the Cie'th, right?" Rosalia asked, noting the worry she tried to hide in her voice.

"Don't worry, Rosa. We'll be okay." Vanille reassured as she squeezed the girl's hand. Rosalia laughed at the older girl's childishness as she pulled her forward.

"I'll go scope things out ahead." Snow told Lightning, "Watch the others, will you?" Rosalia really wanted to yell how she, Hope and Vanille weren't little kids but she highly doubted Snow would listen. Unfortunately, as the group ran ahead they ran into another Ghast and two Wights.

"Alright, I'm helping this time." The girl said as she unsheathed her swords. With Lightning, she ran forward and struck the Cie'th one at a time. Lightning soon cast Ruin while Vanille and Snow cast Aero and Blizzard respectively and Sazh fired his pistols. Rosalia stuck to keeping the rest of the party safe as she couldn't do much on offensive with her blocking her magic, but she could handle defensive and that's one of the things she was best at with her twin swords. When the three monsters were defeated, Vanille grinned,

"Yay us!" Rosalia giggled at that as she sheathed Angel Wing and Demon Wing. The group walked on in silence until they reached some high separated platforms.

"Now how do we get up there?" Rosalia asked, pointing up. Lightning answered by jumping. "Whoa!" The girl cried before she followed the soldier's example, laughing as she jumped high enough to feel like she was flying.

"This just might work!" Snow said, "Magic may be cursed but it makes us stronger, doesn't it? What's to stop us from putting it to good use?"

_Is that the point of my being the Mage? To put 'cursed' magic to good use? _Rosalia wondered as she reached the top with a grin before she turned around to see Hope following her, albeit slowly. "Wasn't that fun?" She grinned to her best friend as he reached her side.

"More terrifying than fun." Hope countered, panting slightly.

"Ugh, you are such a downer sometimes!" Rosalia cried jokingly as she always did when he got like this. She simply nudged him and moved out of the way before he could counter that with her laughing all the same. However, Snow broke the fun by crying,

"We fight it! Ragnarok! That's the reason we're l'Cie. To stop it-to keep Cocoon safe!"

"Yeah, why don't you give us one reason to believe that? One reason." Sazh said, not believing Snow.

"Here it comes." Rosalia whispered before she gestured to Snow just as he said,

"Serah."

"Called it." Rosalia muttered under her breath. She had seen that coming a mile away, after all, even without her powers.

"She said to protect Cocoon, and then she turned to crystal." Snow continued, "That's the proof right there. She completed her Focus! That means ours is to save Cocoon. Serah's fal'Cie was the same as ours. Our Focus has got to be the same. We were chosen to be guardians, to defeat Ragnarok! It makes sense!" Sazh seemed to have enough as he turned around and cried,

"The hell it does! You're grasping at straws, son! Pulse fal'Cie are Cocoon's enemies. We just got recruited by one of them. If I were a betting man…I'd put us on the other side."

"So Serah's an enemy too?" Snow said, "Well I don't buy it!" Snow then walked towards Lightning and continued, "We have the power to save Cocoon. If we work together and carry out our Focus-"

"Our Focus?" Lightning cried as she took out her gunblade and held it against Snow's neck. "The fal'Cie took Serah from us, and you want to help it? Whose side are you on?"

"Freeze!" A voice cried. Rosalia froze as the familiar yellow eyes of a PSICOM soldier stared at the party. They had haunted her ever since that day they dropped off the ribbon currently around her left wrist. The day they showed they killed her mother. "Place your hands behind your heads!" The same soldier, or Warden as her powers told her, ordered as they were completely surrounded. Rosalia would rather grab onto Hope and Vanille to help control herself but she had no choice and joined the others in lifting their hands as Lightning dropped her gunblade.

"You fall off the Purge train?" The captain asked.

"Maybe." Lightning answered as she lifted her hands up.

"Are you talking back to me?" The captain cried as he walked up closer to Lightning and pointed his gun in her face. Lightning smirked only to have the gun shoved back in her face.

"Nice gun." She stated. A second later, Lightning attacked, taking the captain out easily. Rosalia was in awe as she watched the expert swordswoman handle even the swarm of soldiers on her own.

"We have to help." She whispered before she bent down and knocked the two soldiers behind her, Hope and Vanille down and whipped out her swords. While Snow and Vanille went to help Lightning, Hope and Sazh stayed with Rosalia. The boy and man stuck mostly to long range fighting with the occasional spell while the girl went up close and personal, disarming the soldiers the only way she knew how. Get her swords locked around the gun, get the gun away and knock out the soldier. With their combined effort, they got all the soldiers down just as the other group finished their own battle.

"I thought they'd be tougher than that." Sazh stated as the party stood over one of the fallen Wardens. "These guys are PSICOM, yeah? Supposed to be cream-of-the-crop."

"Yeah, but PSICOM's an anti-Pulse task force." Snow explained, "Haven't fought a war in centuries. Bunch of rookie troops swinging around overpriced toys."

"So, from what you're telling me, it sounds like a regular old soldier…has got more training than special forces." Sazh summed up.

"Nothing for us l'Cie to be afraid of." Snow added cockily. Rosalia groaned aloud, already getting annoyed by the resistance leader's attitude.

"Cut the crap." Lightning stated and Rosalia almost thanked the soldier. Almost. "Their grunts might be green, but PSICOM's elites are cold-blooded beasts. They hit the field and it's game over."

"So…that's how my mother was killed…" Rosalia whispered as she looked down at her covered right wrist and the white ribbon on her left.

"Oh-oh! Then let's run away! Ciao!" Vanille cried before she ran off.

"Hey, wait!" Sazh cried just as Rosalia ran past him.

"Wait up!" She cried as she ran, smiling slightly as she did. Vanille's antics always seemed to bring some kind of a smile to her features. _I'll have to thank her sometime soon._

* * *

_I like to think that Vanille had a true gift, but at the same time, I didn't truly know her. I thought she was a girl without a care, or fear, in the world. Yet, I would later learn the two of us were more alike than I thought we could ever be._

* * *

Once the whole party was back together, Vanille said,

"I wonder what happened to everyone else."

"I hope they're all okay." Rosalia added when suddenly, two Ghasts and three Wights attacked them. Sighing, the blonde took out her swords and prepared to attack with Hope and Sazh by her side. Sazh cast Fire on one of the Ghasts when it suddenly lashed at Rosalia, cutting the girl's side. She grunted but didn't move to heal when she felt the sudden wave of Cure pass over her, seeing Hope cast it. Rosalia smiled slightly before she ran forward and slashed at the Ghast several times before jumping out of the way to let Hope and Sazh finish it. They attacked a Wight next and it was gone pretty fast as Sazh cast Ruin and Hope cast Aero while Rosalia dealt the final blow from behind. "Nice job!" Rosalia grinned, holding her hand out to Hope for a high five but he barely complied. "Hoooope." The girl whined childishly as she always did when he acted like that. That got the boy to smile the smallest smile for a second but that was it. She sighed and continued walking, muttering how Hope was so boring at the moment, though she eventually fell into step with him once again.

"Uh-oh…that doesn't look good." Vanille said as the group caught sight of several Breshan Bass. Rosalia nodded in agreement but the group still approached them, ready for a fight. Unfortunately for Rosalia, however, the beast attacked her first, causing her to fly back and hit her head.

"Rosa!" Hope cried, concerned. He quickly ran to kneel beside her as did Sazh, his fatherly instincts kicking in. Said girl groaned as Cure was cast on her several times and a potion was poured down her throat. Altogether, the effect worked and the girl soon managed to sit up, with Hope and Sazh supporting her.

"You alright?" Sazh asked. Rosalia nodded several times before she managed to say,

"Yes…thank you both so much."

"Not a problem." Sazh smiled, ruffling the girl's hair, which earned him a 'Hey!', and stood up once the Breshan Bass were defeated.

"You can stand, right?" Hope asked, still worried.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Hope." Rosalia nodded and, with Hope's help, she stood up. Vanille, worried, cast one more Cure spell on her before the party kept on walking. After a while of walking in silence, Snow spoke.

"Weird, isn't it? Of all the messed up ways to meet…Might as well make introductions." He said, "I'm Snow-Snow Villiers. Short stuff?" As he said that, Snow was looking directly at Hope, even though Rosalia was the shortest member of the party, and the youngest on top of it all.

"Hope. Hope Estheim." Hope introduced, slightly unwillingly.

"And I'm Rosalia…Rosalia…" Rosalia couldn't introduce herself. She never finished her sentence and either her father or Hope would finish it for her. She couldn't say Propheta, after all. They would know who she was in an instant.

"Aduro. Her name is Rosalia Aduro." Hope finished for her.

"But my friends can call me Rosa." The girl added, almost shyly.

"What about her?" Vanille asked, gesturing to the silent Lightning.

"Bodhum Security Regiment. She goes by Lightning." Snow answered, "Last name's Farron. First? Anybody's guess."

"Vanille." Vanille introduced with a smile.

"Sazh Katzroy. Good to meet you." Sazh stated. Vanille smiled at the group before she led the way with Rosalia and Hope by her side. The three adults were moving too slow for Vanille's taste but she didn't say anything. When she noticed they weren't following, however, Vanille started to yell,

"Hey! Come on, come on!" She then started waving erratically before she grabbed Hope's wrist to make him wave with her. Rosalia started laughing so hard as she joined in the waving, she thought she might burst.

"Come _on_!" Rosalia yelled as the adults just stood in place. Soon, they started walking again with Sazh in the lead and Vanille released Hope's wrist so the three could keep walking.

"By the way Rosa, did you notice your brand is different from ours?" Vanille asked suddenly.

"Oh, um, yeah." Rosalia whispered as she looked down at the uncovered brand.

"Why is that?" Vanille asked. Even Hope looked curious.

"Um, I, uh, d-don't know." Rosalia lied. Of course, Hope knew right away. The girl only stuttered when she was lying after all. Hope raised an eyebrow, silently challenging the girl to keep the lie going. Seeing she was caught, Rosalia hung her head. "Fine, I know why. But I can't tell you…" She admitted.

"You mean you won't." Hope corrected. Rosalia turned away and brought her hands up to her heart with her left hand over her right.

"I'm sorry…but this is my burden to bear and I can't put it on you. That wouldn't be fair to anyone." She confessed as she hung her head. "I'll tell you when I feel…that you'll understand and be able to handle it."

"Alright." Vanille nodded happily as Hope let out a sigh of agreement. When Rosalia wanted to keep something to herself, it took Hope _forever _to get it out of her. Last time was when they were 10 and she was being made fun of for her drawings. Hope had to beg for about…six months for her to tell him what was going on. Then he told her father, who told the principal at the school, who told the kids' parents, who, in turn, got their kids grounded. While it may seem complicated, Hope was glad he did it, knowing that if the bullying continued and went farther, Rosalia'd be in trouble. When the party came across a group of Pantherons, Snow said,

"I guess they're hunting down Purge survivors now." Lightning, Snow and Vanille went on the offensive, attacking the Pantherons, while Rosalia, Hope and Sazh kept them away from their party. It was easy and soon the Pantherons were gone.

"That was easier than last time." Rosalia smiled as they walked away.

"Cause we're stronger than last time!" Snow grinned, holding his arms up as if he were a hero.

"No, we were human last time. Now we're l'Cie." Lightning countered bluntly. Rosalia grinned as she saw how Snow had no words. Sometimes, that was a good thing. The party kept walking until they saw two more Pantherons which were easily taken out. As they kept walking, Snow asked,

"Is that wreckage from the Vestige?" No one answered, as no one was positive to the answer. They ended up going across, or rather jumping across, a bridge made of crystal and wreckage.

"It's all so beautiful." Rosalia whispered as she reached the top and started walking in step with Hope. "I wish I could remember this forever."

"What, being a l'Cie and walking down a path that'll lead you to your death?" Hope asked. For that, Rosalia slapped him on the back of the head. "Ow!" Hope cried.

"Stop being pessimistic!" Rosalia cried before she turned away and started walking away, her sash blowing behind her slightly as a strand of hair fell in her eyes that she quickly brushed back.

"The train fell too. I wonder what else is down here." Vanille said as they walked on the train.

"Probably something dangerous." Sazh stated. Rosalia rolled her eyes, not in the mood to yell at another pessimistic. Eventually, however, she once again fell into step with Hope as he reached out and took her hand in his own, a silent apology. Rosalia squeezed his hand to assure he was forgiven.

"Look over there!" Rosalia suddenly cried as they walked down the side of the train. She pointed at what she recognized as a crystalized-

"Serah." Lightning stated, sadness seeping into her voice.

"Serah!" Snow cried, running up to the crystalized girl. The party slowly followed him when they saw him start digging Serah out.

"I'll help you." Vanille offered.

"Me too." Rosalia added and the two girls bent down to help digging.

"Thanks!" Snow grunted. Just then, Rosalia's hand brushed against Serah's crystal and a white light sparked on her fingertips before it faded again. She stared at it in awe before she returned to digging. Sazh soon started helping as Hope and Lightning simply stared. Suddenly, Lightning turned and began to walk away. "Lightning?" Snow cried, "You're just gonna leave her?"

"PSICOM will be here soon. If they find us, we're all dead." Lightning stated, "You think Serah would want that? You think you know how she feels?"

"If I leave her, then I'll never know." Snow stated, "We'll be fine. I can handle anything they throw at us. No one will die. I'll protect Serah. And Cocoon!" Lightning turned around and walked up to Snow, staring at him for a second before she punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Rosalia's eyes widened as she grabbed Hope's hand and Vanille's arm, dropping her tool.

"Does she look protected to you?" Lightning asked. Snow groaned for a second before he stood up and cried,

"I can save her!" Lightning punched him down again before she cried,

"What can you possibly do?"

"Whatever it takes!" Snow vowed. Lightning's fist lowered as her eyes widened slightly. Sazh stood up then and said,

"You two are hopeless." He started walking away, looked back and said, "You just can't admit it. You want to stay as much as he does." Slowly, Rosalia picked up her tool again and started helping Snow and Vanille keep digging. "Whoa, whoa!" Sazh suddenly cried. Rosalia's eyes widened as she sensed a Manasvin Warmech. "No…no! No, no, no, not now!" Sazh cried, having spot the machine as well.

"Look out!" Rosalia cried as they all stood up and began to run with Lightning taking out her gunblade as she did. The Manasvin Warmech suddenly jumped and landed in front of Hope, who fell and ran away in fear. "Hope!" Rosalia cried, running after her best friend.

"Stand back!" Snow yelled at the teenagers and Sazh. Once they were out of the way, Rosalia held Hope tightly, trying to calm him down. Since Hope never really had control of his emotions, especially now that Nora had died, Rosalia was the only person who could ever truly calm him down, well and Vanille too now. Rosalia watched the battle in awe, admiring the skills and magic the three had. It was as if they had been fighting together for years instead of maybe hours. Finally, the three managed to defeat the Manasvin Warmech and the whole party stood in silence before Lightning began to leave. Snow ran to get in her way, crying, "You're leaving?" He looked at her in complete betrayal as she remained silent.

"We want to help Serah too." Sazh said.

"We all really do." Rosalia reinforced.

"But without tools…we could be digging for days." Sazh continued, "The army's on our trail. For now, we've got to keep moving. For now."

"So I just abandon her, and save myself?" Snow cried.

"What about your Focus?" Lightning cut in, speaking for the first time since she yelled at the man in front of her. Snow looked at her in shock as she continued, "What happened to banding together and saving the world? Isn't that what you promised? Now you want to forget it all and die right here? Snow? You're nothing but talk." The soldier began to walk away when Snow clenched his fists and said,

"Lightning! I'll do whatever it takes. I'll finish this Focus…_and _keep Serah safe. That's my promise."

"Great job so far." Lightning stated before she began to walk away. Sazh sighed before he looked at Snow. The resistance leader smiled,

"Stay out of trouble."

"You too." Sazh stated as he walked past, patting Snow on the shoulder. The three 'kids' stared at Snow, unsure if they should stay or go. Snow pointed behind himself and smiled,

"Get going." Vanille and Rosalia nodded and walked past the blonde man. "Later."

"Okay." Vanille nodded.

"Stay safe, Snow." Rosalia said.

"I always am." Snow smirked as he patted the girl on the back. Rosalia smiled softly up at him before she ran after Vanille. However, Rosalia noticed a few seconds later that Hope wasn't behind her. She quickly stopped and waited, watching as Hope tried to talk to Snow before he ran after her. He stopped a small distance away from her and looked back at Snow before he caught up with her.

"You waited for me?" Hope asked, sounding surprised.

"Don't I always?" Rosalia asked with a smile.

"Well, yeah, but you've been so irritated with me so far and…" He trailed off.

"Hope…" She grabbed his chin and tilted his head down slightly so he met her eyes. "I can _never _stay mad at you for long, you know that. And besides, you're my best friend, why wouldn't I wait for you? And…you and your dad are the only people who really know me left in this world." _Almost. _She added in her thoughts. Hope smiled a small smile.

"Thanks, Rosa." He said simply. Rosalia grinned, took his hand in hers and began to run to catch up with the party.

"Where have you two been?" Vanille asked as they caught up.

"I was waiting for Hope here and had to convince him he's still my best friend." Rosalia answered.

"Hey!" Hope cried, nudging her slightly.

"Oh, come on!" Rosalia cried as she and Vanille pulled him, once again, to the lead. As they walked, Vanille said,

"Maybe we shouldn't have left him on his own."

"Guess all we can do is pray he makes it out okay." Sazh added.

"Snow's stubborn, that's for sure. And he can fight. I think he'll be alright." Rosalia assured.

"You've known him a _day _and you already have an assessment on him?" Sazh asked. Rosalia shrugged,

"He was pretty obvious about it." They came to a bridge than and three Breshan Bass. "Not again." The girl groaned as she took her swords out. With Lightning, she slashed at the beasts, avoiding their claws especially. When they did try to attack her, however, Hope cast Ruin and threw his boomerang, keeping her safe. Rosalia smiled in thanks as she defended the group while Lightning cast Blitz, Sazh cast Fire and Vanille cast Aero. Vanille quickly healed the group as the Breshan Basses landed some blows while Lightning attacked, Sazh cast Fire, Hope cast Thunder and Rosalia slashed at one before she flipped it away from her. Soon they were down to one and Lightning quickly took it out. As the party kept walking, Vanille said,

"I hope Snow's okay." Just then, the party leapt down in the center of four Pantherons. Quickly, Rosalia grabbed Angel Wing, threw it at one and then slashed the same one with Demon Wing as she jumped in the air and caught her remaining white blade. Sazh and Lightning finished it off with Fire and Blitz while Hope, Rosalia and Vanille took out another one with Aero, Thunder and a well-timed aerial attack. After that, the party reached a long canyon with the only way to cross being a long tube.

"Okay, do not shake the slippery tube! We cool on this? Do NOT shake the slippery tube!" Sazh warned.

"It's only scary if you look down! You should close your eyes!" Vanille smiled as she led the way across followed by a slower Sazh then a giggling Rosalia, Lightning and finally Hope, who looked extremely nervous.

"You're fine, Hope. Come on!" Rosalia encouraged.

"You can do it!" Vanille added with a grin. Hope kept his eyes on the girls and got across easily.

"See, not that bad." Rosalia smiled as she teasingly slung an arm across Hope's shoulders like she did when she was a kid. Hope shook his head and pushed her arm off of him. Rosalia pouted for a second before they continued walking.

"Still couldn't talk to him?" Vanille asked as she noticed the look on Hope's face. "You'll never get past this if you don't say something."

"She's right, Hope. You _need _to talk to him." Rosalia insisted as she gently put a hand on Hope's arm.

"Words won't change anything." Hope said, "But next time we meet, he'll learn exactly how I feel."

"Hope, just…just don't do something you'll regret." Rosalia stated when she heard Lightning say,

"Looks operational." The rest of the party looked up as she caused a machine Rosalia didn't recognize to activate and shoot at the crystal, causing several Breshan Bass to come out.

"Okay, I know that was bad, but it was also very cool!" Rosalia smiled. The party made their way over and were surrounded by Breshan and Bloodfang Bass. In unison, Lightning and Rosalia struck each one, weakening them. Then, Rosalia stuck Demon Wing in the ground and jumped up, kicking a Breshan Bass in the face only for a Bloodfang Bass to scratch her. Quickly, Vanille cured the party as Lightning cast Blitz, Sazh cast Fire and Hope cast Aero. The party struck repeatedly, casting each spell and using each attack they knew. After several minutes, they defeated the Basses and made their way across the wreckage bridge to Lightning's self-made cave. "Again, very cool." Rosalia smiled until they came out and found an Alpha Behemoth waiting for them. "Not so cool anymore!" She cried as she unsheathed her swords. Sazh, Vanille and Hope cast the spells they could when the beast charged and rammed the entire party. "Argh." Rosalia grunted, gripping her side when she felt Hope's Cure spell rush through her. She smiled in thanks before she assessed what to do as Sazh cast Flamestrike using his guns. Lightning and Rosalia both charged and struck the Alpha Behemoth several times, weakening it slightly. It took several more strikes and a lot of spells to defeat the beast but they did it.

"Stay sharp." Lightning said as she put her gunblade away and they continued walking.

"Look at that. They're sending in cruisers." Sazh suddenly pointed out. "Primarch must be sweating bullets, mobilizing ships like that.

"We'd better be careful, right?" Rosalia asked, looking up at Sazh as she stood up beside him. Sazh looked down and smiled slightly at the girl as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Right." He nodded in agreement before they returned to walking. They crouched down, however, when they came to a ledge.

"Whoa." Rosalia whispered as she saw the cruisers and troops, all from PSICOM.

"They must be hunting down Purge survivors." Sazh stated.

"I hope everyone made it out okay." Vanille said.

"So do I." Sazh agreed.

"Me too." Rosalia whispered as she clutched her wrist, feeling as if she failed her Mage heritage before she even accepted it.

* * *

_Feeling as if you failed before you've even begun…it's one of the worst feelings I've ever had. I felt like I let Mom and Dad along with my entire family line down along with myself. I could have saved so many lives if I hadn't been so insecure and afraid…it's one of my biggest regrets and probably always will be. But I like to believe I can try to make up for those mistakes by protecting the world to my best ability._

* * *

"But nowhere is safe for them now." Sazh added, "Damn it! Just cause they shared a neighborhood with a fal'Cie…they get treated like Pulse-tainted rats."

"People really hate Pulse, don't they?" Vanille asked.

"Not _hate._" Sazh said, "More like _fear_. Tens of millions of people…all scared of Pulse boogeymen. They'd be shaking in their beds every night if they knew…that l'Cie like us were around."

"That's why they try to kill every last one." Rosalia whispered. _Mom…_

"But…They Purged that entire town!" Vanille said.

"It's crazy, I know." Sazh agreed, "But the Sanctum fal'Cie did nothing to stop it. Up until now, Eden's always stepped in…to correct their errors in judgment. Guess humans aren't worth the effort. Figure they'll let us just kill each other off."

"L'Cie are not human." Hope suddenly said as he stood.

"Listen you, that's enough!" Vanille cried as she stood, Rosalia by her side. Vanille grabbed Hope's wrist with his brand and stared at it for a minute before releasing him and walking away. "We're still alive." Vanille continued, "That's something."

"Was my mother human to you, Hope?" Rosalia asked. Everyone looked at the girl in surprise. She was practically seething in anger, her fists clenched tightly, as if to prevent something from bursting out.

"What?" Hope asked.

"You knew my mom before she left, several months in fact. Was she human to you?" Rosalia asked again.

"Of course she was, what're you-" Hope started but Rosalia cut him off, yelling,

"Well, than how can you say l'Cie like us aren't human if my mom was one too?!" The party stared at her in shock. "My mother…she was branded a l'Cie…before I was born…" Rosalia confessed as she hung her head, hiding her tears. "When I was born…she had to leave or my father and I would have been in danger. But PSICOM showed up one day…and gave my father this ribbon…that hided my mother's brand…they killed her before I could even know who she was!" She than got right into Hope's face and whispered, "You think everything is so easy for me? I've been bottling everything up for _years_ and now that this is happening I feel like I'm going to literally use-!" She cut herself off and turned away before she could finish that sentence, realizing what she was going to say. 'Magic'.

* * *

_Hope really hurt me when he said l'Cie weren't human. My mother and then I had both become l'Cie and he thought we were no longer human. I just exploded on him and almost exposed myself. Sometimes, I look back and wonder what could have happened if I had told the truth then. Of course, now life's all about what ifs and what could have beens when we look back at that time, right? I suppose it's only natural for anyone._

* * *

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

"What?" Lightning asked.

"Where is it?" Sazh asked.

"I don't know." Hope answered.

"There!" Rosalia and Lightning pointed in unison. As the cruisers flew past, everyone but Lightning was knocked down. Rosalia resisted the urge to grab Hope. She was angry with him still, after all.

"They're sealing off the area." Lightning stated, "They're trying to trap the stragglers. We've got to get moving before we're caught in the net."

"Then let's go!" Rosalia cried before she and Vanille ran off to lead the way and for Rosalia to get as far from Hope as she could She was _so _not talking to him now. Unfortunately, the party ran into PSICOM Tracker soldiers. Rosalia quickly disarmed one as the party cast several spells and Lightning attacked by her side. Hope distracted the other one as Rosalia and Lightning attacked while Sazh and Vanille cast spells and they easily won.

"Let's keep moving." Lightning stated as she put her gunblade away before taking the lead.

"Three Watchdrones up ahead." Rosalia whispered. Before anyone could question her, however, they found said Watchdrones and one went and attacked Rosalia, knocking her out for the rest of the battle. When she opened her eyes, she saw Hope and Vanille casting Cure spells on her. "What happened?" The girl groaned as she sat up.

"You got attacked by a Watchdrone and hit your head." Vanille explained.

"Yeah, you should've seen Hope after that." Sazh grinned.

"What?" Rosalia asked, confused.

"He attacked that drone with everything he had and got it out in a few minutes before he ran over here and started curing you for the rest of the battle. Vanille helped him after that." Sazh answered. Hope's cheeks were a light pink as Rosalia smiled,

"Thank you…But I'm still mad at you." With that, the party continued walking in silence.

"Too bad that's all busted up. Sure would've made things easier." Sazh said after a minute as he looked at something Rosalia didn't see since she was ahead of him.

"Easy doesn't happen when you're a l'Cie." Rosalia stated bluntly.

"I guess it's for the best. We'd have been easy targets on that thing." Sazh agreed just before they came across more soldiers. Rosalia quickly jumped in, defending everyone, including Hope, before she ran in and attacked before the soldiers could do a large one. Soon after, they had won. The party then started climbing some crystal leading to Sazh whining, "Do we really have to go this way? I'm too old for this."

"Oh, man up and climb! It's not that hard, Sazh!" Rosalia cried back, her irritation at Hope shining through in her speech.

"Whoa! How high is this thing? I don't think I'm gonna make it." Sazh said once again.

"With that kind of attitude, yeah, you won't." Rosalia agreed as she followed Lightning.

"The years catch up with you." Sazh argued, glaring slightly at the girl. Rosalia just gave him a sheepish look as they finished climbing and ran the rest of the way.

"Whoa. This whole place is crystal!" Vanille gasped as they stopped.

"Beautiful…" Rosalia whispered when she felt Hope's hand brush hers. Looking in his eyes and seeing the sorry light in them, she took his hand for a second to say she forgave him silently.

"I wonder what it would be like. To become a crystal, I mean." Sazh said.

"You're gonna complete your Focus?" Vanille asked.

"Maybe. If I knew what it was." Sazh shrugged, "I probably don't want to know."

"I'm gonna try to. So I can complete why my mother never could. I'm not gonna die just yet, I know it." Rosalia smiled, trying to remain positive of her fate even if it looked dark to her. Crystalizing was the light and she was going to get there!

"Hey, Lightning." Vanille said, "Did Serah say anything to you about her Focus?" Lightning looked down and raised her hand to clutch her heart almost.

"Nothing." She answered sadly.

"Oh, you know what? She probably didn't want to worry you." Vanille tried to make Lightning feel better.

"Or she just didn't think she could trust me." Lightning said before she walked off. Rosalia felt so bad for the soldier but knew she couldn't say anything. She hardly knew her, after all. The group kept walking, stopping once to defeat Watchdrones. As they walked, Sazh turned to Hope and said,

"Listen, you, there's no need to be all negative."

"He's like this a lot, I'm used to it." Rosalia said, crossing her arms.

"Still, it isn't nice to be insulting your girlfriend's family." Sazh said, crossing his own arms.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Hope cried the same second Rosalia cried,

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"We're just best friends!" The two finished in unison. They've become so used to it, it was natural now.

"Yeah, whatever." Sazh smiled, holding his hands up in surrender as Vanille giggled. Rosalia's attention was drawn to something else, however. As they continued walking, they came towards what the future Mage sensed was the Gate of Antiquity.

"It's beautiful…" Rosalia whispered as they walked up the stairs. When they reached the top, Sazh said,

"What's that? I think I recognize it from somewhere."

"It's the Alpha Behemoth!" Rosalia whispered in shock. Quickly, the two swordswomen attacked and a second later, the Alpha Behemoth attacked Vanille as Sazh and Hope cast Fire and Ruin. Vanille cast Aero as Sazh cast Flamestrike and Rosalia and Hope struck the beast. Lightning attacked next and the entire party fought at once, leading to the Alpha Behemoth's defeat. Unfortunately, right after they ran into three Watchdrones and one PSICOM Ranger soldier. The fight wasn't extremely long but Rosalia came out needing a lot of Cure spells since she had taken defense this time and tried to protect her teammates from every attack. It worked…at the price of her strength until Vanille and Hope restored her. As they continued up a wreckage made ramp, Sazh said,

"Even the flames turned to crystal. This is ridiculous."

"It's incredible." Rosalia argued softly.

"Those'll be our cold-blooded beasts, I take it." Sazh gestured forward. Lightning nodded and the party jumped down to face to Ranger soldiers and a Crusader. While Lightning took out the Rangers, the rest of the party focused on the Crusader, which led to Rosalia and Vanille getting shocked, literally. In the end, it took mostly magic to defeat the Crusader, making Rosalia useless, but they did it. As they finished, they ran up at least two more flights of stairs with no enemies, surprisingly. When they reached the top, Vanille cried,

"Hey, hey! It looks like we can get through here!"

"Let's try it!" Rosalia grinned as she followed Lightning.

"I think we're about to get ourselves overrun." Sazh quipped as they approached two PSICOM Ranger soldiers and one PSICOM Executioner soldier. Rosalia took out the Rangers easily, before she moved to help the rest of the party with the Executioner. In the end, Lightning and Rosalia's strikes took the Executioner out and the other three were distractions, or in Hope's case a Cure for Vanille, who was struck repeatedly.

"Let's get moving." Lightning stated and the group continued on silently until more soldiers came out.

"Uh-oh. Somebody must've called for reinforcements!" Sazh called.

"They're Trackers, we got this." Rosalia grinned as she started attacking, Hope right by her side to keep her safe. Working together, the Trackers were done in a minute or two tops. They continued on in that way, running and defeating any enemies in their way. As they ran, Sazh asked,

"Why don't we just loop around and make things easier on ourselves?" Lightning didn't answer or look back, which Rosalia counted as a good thing for Sazh. They continued on until Sazh spoke again. "Something's making the hairs on my neck stand up."

"You've got to stop worrying, Sazh!" Vanille chastised.

"Everything will be alright." Rosalia assured, directing that statement to Hope as well.

"We outran 'em. We'll be okay now." Vanille smiled. The party continued up the stairs, Sazh huffing and puffing as they did.

"Wow." The girls gasped as they reached the top of the stairs. The party looked around in awe, though Rosalia suddenly felt on edge, her senses picking something up. As Vanille ran off, Lightning called,

"Stay close."

"You remind me of a mom." Rosalia teased the older swordswoman.

"I want to look around." Vanille grinned. She started walking around when suddenly, she was running and screaming.

"Vanille!" Hope and Rosalia cried in unison as a Garuda Interceptor, what Rosalia sensed, chased the older girl. As the girl came running, crying,

"Help me!" Sazh cried,

"Over here!"

"It's okay." Rosalia whispered as they all took their weapons out. "Duck!" She screamed but it was too late. They were all knocked to the ground. "Great, down before we even start." The girl sighed as she stood up quickly, her sword grip tight. She couldn't use magic and had only Angel Wing and Demon Wing to rely on, along with her instincts. It was so hard, though. The beast was flying and that made things slightly difficult for her. She tried to jump only to be hit or to miss entirely. "Ugh!" She groaned.

"Rosalia! Use magic!" Lightning cried as she cast Ruin.

"I can't!" The girl cried as she dodged an attack.

"What're you talking about? You're a l'Cie, you can use magic!" Sazh cried, not understanding.

"No, I can't! I _won't_!" Rosalia shouted, her grip tightening on her swords even more. Just then, the Garuda Interceptor turned around and flew away. "What's it doing?" Rosalia cried. She couldn't sense it.

"It's charging up." Lightning stated.

"Charging? What are you talking about? Charging for what?" Sazh asked, confused. Suddenly, the beast glowed blue.

"Its last moments." Lightning answered before she ran out, prepared to fight again. Rosalia came despite that she couldn't fight with magic. However, she knew a way she could be useful, her senses.

"It's got a Barrier up!" She shouted in warning. With each attack the beast did, Rosalia kept a record and warning for it. She also eyed its health, letting them know when they made any kind of dent, big or small. Eventually, the party won. Rosalia breathed a sigh of relief over that fact and that she was helpful in some way. Vanille suddenly ran forward and pointed.

"Check it out!" She smiled.

"Come on. Hop to it, let's go!" Sazh encouraged.

"Let's just go before something else goes wrong." Rosalia encouraged as she sheathed her swords and followed Vanille who was grinning widely.

"This will make things easier!" She smiled.

"Yeah, knowing our luck, it's probably missing an engine." Sazh stated.

"You shouldn't be so negative." Vanille scolded.

"Don't stuff like that, Sazh, or our luck'll get even worse!" Rosalia cried, not liking the score of bad luck they've had so far.

"And you two shouldn't get your hopes up." Sazh said as he led the way to the ship, the four following him.

* * *

_Sazh was extremely negative but…he was also like a father to me. I mean, he was never like my real dad but he was a close replacement, even though I just saw him as a surrogate father. He really was nice in his own way and he did care…he still does. And I will always love him for who he is._

* * *

The five party members sat in the ship as Sazh took off. Rosalia started gripping her head instantly, sensing too many enemies at once.

"So many…be careful…enemies everywhere…" The girl managed between grunts, unaware Etro's symbol on her wrist was glowing with her sensing.

"Awww no!" Sazh cried a second later. Rosalia could hear them but she refused to open her eyes. The pain of sensing was too great right now.

"Give me that!" Lightning cried.

"What!?" Sazh cried. Rosalia assumed Lightning had gone up beside Sazh but that was it, she couldn't guess anything else through her pain. Though she had a pretty good idea when the pain lessened and she opened her eyes.

"Did we get 'em?" Vanille asked.

"We got _one _of them." Lightning answered.

"They're still behind us!" Hope shouted, scared. Rosalia's hands came to grip the sides of her head though her eyes were open.

"Too many…for me to count…" She whispered as the boy and older girl stared at her, not understanding what she was doing.

"Hey! I said stop!" Sazh cried as Lightning flew them in a crazy pattern. Rosalia was the only one not screaming, too lost in her sensing. "You _want _to die?" Sazh asked Lightning as he pushed her away.

"Still on us…must lose them…" The girl whispered.

"How are we gonna lose them?" Hope asked.

"You've got me, kid!" Sazh answered.

"Then let me!" Lightning cried.

"No, thank you!" Sazh refused. They soon were in the sky.

"Still behind us…" Rosalia whispered and a second later, the enemy ships followed.

"They're still on us?" Sazh cried.

"How did she do that?" Vanille asked, looking at the girl who appeared to be daydreaming…or listening, she couldn't tell which. Hope stared at her as well, wondering where his best friend had gone.

"We're taking hits!" Sazh cried.

"Not letting up…" Rosalia whispered.

"Come on, give me a break!" Sazh practically whined.

"Two…" The girl whispered, sounding sleepy.

"Hang on!" Sazh cried before he pulled a risky move through the canyon that ended with them free in the sky.

"All…gone…" Rosalia whispered as she slouched slightly, looking tired as well as sounding tired.

"For the love of all that's good!" Sazh cried angrily. Just then, a reporter spoke.

_Next, an update on the status of the Purge. Just moments ago, the Sanctum announced the successful conclusion of the Purge…along with the safe arrival of the Cocoon migrants to their new home on Pulse._

"Lies…" Rosalia whispered weakly as she tried to sit up, all of the sensing exhausting her for once.

"_Yes, that is correct." _Primarch said as he appeared. _"There's no denying the enormity of the strain the Purge placed on us all. But, given the tens of millions of lives at stake, there truly was no alternative."_

_Primarch Dysley by the move, stressing the necessity of the relocation. When asked about the possibility of future Purges, the Primarch remained noncommittal…stating only that he'd seek counsel with the fal'Cie Eden and weight all options before making a decision._

As the reporter said this, Rosalia reached over from her seat to grasp Hope's hand in worry and fear, as well as to calm him down.

"Yeah, that's right. If it makes the Sanctum look bad, it never even happened." Sazh said.

"_In all the centuries since the War of Transgression…" _Primarch said, _"Cocoon has been spared Pulse aggression and prospered for it. It is essential that we maintain this peace. That is the Sanctum's focus. We will continue employing every resource available to combat these threats to the harmony of our society."_

"Meaning, we'll be running for the rest of our lives." Sazh translated.

"Hey." Vanille spoke up. "Umm, who is this guy?" Sazh sighed in aggravation before sitting up and saying,

"I mean, what do they teach kids these days?"

"Hey!" Rosalia cried weakly but stopped when Hope squeezed her hand.

"He's Galenth Dysley." Sazh explained, "The Sanctum Primarch. Murderer-in-chief."

_According to our insta-poll…_

"Just another tool of the fal'Cie." Lightning said.

…_nearly ninety percent of Cocoon citizens agree with the Sanctum's handling of the Purge. Seventy percent of respondents also said they would also support additional Purges were the need to arise._

"Let's Purge everybody. That'll fix it!" Sazh said sarcastically while Rosalia's grip tightened on Hope's hand. Suddenly, Rosalia groaned, raising her free hand to her head.

"Enemies…" She whispered. A second later, alarms went off.

"Points for perseverance!" Sazh said. Suddenly, there was a bright white light and everyone shielded their eyes.

"Wow." Vanille gasped when the light faded.

"A Sanctum fal'Cie up close and personal, Cocoon's own light in the sky." Sazh stated. Suddenly, the ship lurched. "Here we go again." Sazh grunted as Rosalia groaned.

"Fly in!" Lightning instructed, "We'll lose them in there." Sazh obeyed and it worked, shown in Rosalia's groaning slightly subsiding.

"I like this fal'Cie!" Sazh said as he flew.

"There's more of 'em." Vanille cried.

"More…coming…" Rosalia whispered. Suddenly, the ship hit the side of the fal'Cie and it lurched. "Hold on!" Rosalia cried as she snapped back to reality when the ship began to fall.

* * *

_That pain…I still feel it sometimes. So many enemies all coming at once…it's enough to make me want to kneel over and die. I had never sensed so much in a second but it suddenly hit like…like BAM! I never saw any of it coming…nor what was going to come next._

* * *

**Hello, and here's the next chapter! I was excited so I updated and managed to get around a 10,000 word chapter out, one of the longest things I have ever written! Woo hoo! Oh, and I forgot to mention that Rosalia's theme song is Firework by Katy Perry so if you want an insight on her, check that out. Anyways, thanks to Guest for reviewing and giving me the idea to change Rosalia's brand and invent the Mage's brand. It's a major symbol in who Rosalia actually is. Also, thanks to all 90 readers, almost at 100! Please review to let me know what you think! Later!**


	4. Chapter 4:Seperation, Eidolons and Truth

_Rosalia opened her eyes, groaning silently. She was extremely confused to find herself surrounded by darkness with not a single soul in sight._

"_Oh, you've made it here." A voice said. Rosalia jumped almost ten feet in the air as she turned to see a girl behind her. The girl had light pink hair in a side pony tail and bright blue eyes. She wore a white sleeveless dress shirt, a red plaid-pleated skirt lined with black lace, a semi-transparent pink sweeper, black thigh-high stocking with a white diamond shape on the top of the left stocking, ivory ankle boots, a bandage on her left bicep, a black arm band on her right bicep, cat-shaped earrings and an engagement pendent. Rosalia recognized the 18 year old girl instantly and gasped in shock._

"_Serah…" She whispered, "How is this even possible? You turned to crystal!"_

"_Yes, but you're the Mage and you touched my crystal." Serah explained, "By doing that, you connected our souls."_

"_In English, please." Rosalia stated bluntly, not understanding._

"_That white light that you saw after you touched my crystal; that was the connection of our souls being made." Serah explained, "Now, whenever you go to sleep, as long as I'm in crystal stasis, you and I will meet."_

"_Okay…but how did you know I was the Mage?" Rosalia asked, not understanding that part._

"_When we connected, everything there is to know about you was suddenly…given to me." Serah explained, "I'm not sure how, but I think Etro might have done something."_

"_Well, of course she did." Rosalia said, "While Pulse has Pulse l'Cie and Lindzei has Cocoon l'Cie, Etro only has the Mage and that's only me. Anything that involves magic and me links directly to Etro herself." As she spoke, the blonde reached down and touched the brand of the Mage on her wrist, feeling Etro's symbol at her fingertips._

"_It'll be okay." Serah assured, walking up to the girl. Placing a hand on her shoulder, the pinkette smiled, "You don't have to be afraid, Rosa. Everything will be alright."_

"_How do you know?" Rosalia asked as she met the older girl's eyes, wanting some kind of guidance._

"_Because I believe in you." Serah smiled softly as everything faded to white._

* * *

_Talking with Serah…I'm not sure why, but it gave me strength to go on, to believe in myself. Now that I think about it, I owe Serah a lot in my life. She's saved me a lot of times ever since we met and even after having her own crazy adventure, she still looks at me as her little sister, someone she can help when they need it or give them a shoulder to cry on. Even if she didn't come on my first journey, Serah Farron will always be considered my older sister._

* * *

"You've got to wake up!" Rosalia awoke to hear Vanille screaming as she was shaking the girl and Hope as well.

"Vanille…? What…" Rosalia whispered as she sat up off of Hope. Vanille pointed in front of them, crying,

"Look!" Rosalia looked up to see Lightning facing some Pantherons by herself. Vanille got to her feet and ran to help the soldier.

"Hey! Slow down!" Sazh cried before he followed the older girl. Rosalia moved to follow but she fell to the ground with an 'oomph'.

"Rosa!" Hope said worriedly as he moved to support the weak girl.

"I…I'm okay." She whispered, still trying to get up and help her friends. Hope shook his head.

"No, you need rest." He then cast Cure on her over and over. Rosalia sighed in relief as the magic washed over her, giving her strength back to her. Once Hope cast the last spell, the girl laid a hand on his chest and whispered,

"Thank you." Hope nodded, knowing when Rosalia thanked someone, she meant it as one of the most important things in the world. Her father _had _taught her to make every moment count, after all. The two were brought back to reality as Vanille cried,

"Glad that's over." The two teens got up and walked over to watch the older girl and the man sit down, tired.

"Man, I'm beat." Sazh huffed as he sat. Lightning, however, didn't stop and kept on walking. "What, no break?" Sazh asked. Lightning paused for a second and said,

"They're tracking us."

"I know that. I know that, but we aren't soldiers!" Sazh cried, "We don't have your kind of stamina."

"You've got enough to complain." Lightning retorted, looking back slightly, before she kept on walking.

"Oh, that's-!" Sazh cried. However, he didn't know what to say, so instead he just cried, "Forget it!" Rosalia looked at Hope and knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I'm with you, no matter what." She whispered. Hope nodded before he took a deep breath and walked up to the older girl and man, Rosalia beside him.

"I think, um…" Hope tried to say, playing with his fingers.

"I'd stick with her if I were you two." Sazh said, throwing his hand in the air.

"We'll meet up again, don't worry." Rosalia smiled. Hope nodded in agreement with her before he added,

"Later, then." The two teenagers then ran off, Hope leading the way since he was faster. They followed Lightning's path when they came to a huge, strange roadblock.

"Now how do we get over this?" Rosalia asked, her head cocked to the side slightly. Hope said nothing and started to climb it. Shrugging, the girl followed him with ease, having good agility blessed to her by Etro as did the rest of the Mages of generations past. "Careful!" Rosalia cried as they reached the top and Hope almost fell.

"I got it." Hope said before he jumped. Once he was on the ground, he turned around, ready to steady Rosalia's fall. The girl smiled softly at him before she jumped, her hands landing on his arms and allowing him to steady her. They locked gazes and froze for a second.

"Thank you." Rosalia smiled softly. Hope nodded, lost for words, before the two started running again, the boy leading the way.

* * *

When the teenagers finally caught up to the soldier, she stopped and asked,

"Just you two?"

"For now, I guess." Hope answered.

"Yep." Rosalia chirped in agreement, acting as if she was back home with her father, no problems at all and no fear of her fate eating at her heart constantly.

"Should we wait?" Hope asked, secretly glad Rosalia was back to her old self.

"They'll catch up. Eventually." Lightning stated as she turned back around and continued walking. The two followed silently. As they walked, Hope asked,

"All the junk around here came from Pulse, didn't it?"

"Yep." Rosalia answered, trying to ignore the tingling of sensing where each foreign piece came from. _I _really _wish Mom taught me how to shut that off. _She thought, irritated.

"How did you know that?" Hope asked.

"….I recognize the designs from a book my mother had." Rosalia answered finally. It was partially true, after all. Elena Propheta _had_, in fact, owned a book all about _Gran _Pulse. When she asked her father about it, Jacob had explained that, on her mother's side, Rosalia's family used to live on Gran Pulse until one of her ancestors, obviously the Mage of the time, went to Cocoon and the Propheta line had been there ever since. Hope nodded, having seen the book once.

"Your mother had a book on Pulse?" Lightning asked, doubting.

"Yes. My ancestors used to live there and I guess my mother wanted to learn more about where she came from." Rosalia explained. Lightning nodded slightly, accepting the answer. The party walked in silence until they came to a group of Pantherons with a Thexteron. The three were silent as they drew their weapons. Hope cast Blizzard and Fire, one after the other, as Rosalia and Lightning attacked, Lightning using Blitz first while Rosalia simply slashed with Angel Wing and Demon Wing. Hope cast Blizzard again, taking a Pantheron out. Rosalia slashed repeatedly at the second Pantheron before she planted Demon Wing in the ground and used it to swing over top it, effectively hitting the Pantheron in the face and destroying it. Hope cast Blizzard repeatedly at the Thexteron as Lightning and Rosalia attacked. However, the beast moved to attack Hope and Rosalia jumped in to take the hit for him while slashing at the beast. Hope cast Cure on the girl as Lightning cast Ruin and slashed at the Thexteron. Rosalia struck next and the Thexteron was history. The girl breathed a sigh of relief as they continued walking. When they came to a ledge, the party was forced to jump but luckily made it. As they reached the platform, Hope said,

"This stuff is what was left over from the scrap the fal'Cie took from Pulse to repair Cocoon." Rosalia nodded in agreement, having read that in her mother's book. The girl was shocked, however, when they came across a robot, specifically, a Pulsework Soldier. She also knew how hard it would be to beat, sensing the resistance it had to attacks. However, the girl took out her swords anyway, ready to fight. Hope and Lightning cast Blizzard and Ruin before the soldier attacked the robot with Rosalia by her side.

"It's resistant to most attacks, we need to focus on magic." Rosalia stated.

"Then why don't you use it?" Hope asked as he cast Fire.

"I _can't_!" Rosalia cried as she threw Angel Wing, distracting the robot.

"How did you know it was resistant to attacks?" Lightning asked as she cast Ruin. Rosalia froze slightly.

"…..I can't tell you." She answered as she slashed at the robot, keeping it busy, before she jumped back to stand beside her fellow l'Cie. Neither spoke again for the rest of the battle, nor when they continued walking. Soon, they came to a wall of some sort.

"Dead end. Guess we have to go back." Hope stated. However, Lightning walked closer to the wall. "I don't see any way over that." The boy said. As the soldier stopped, the teens were breathing heavily, Hope more so than Rosalia. Seeing a rock, the boy sat down on it to rest as Rosalia placed a hand on his shoulder. "Can we get through this way, you think?" Hope asked. Lightning didn't answer and again the boy spoke. "You…know where you're going, right?" He asked.

"I've been here on missions before." Lightning explained.

"Missions? Nothing to do with the Purge, right?" Rosalia asked, wondering if she had failed her job as the Mage even more than she already has.

"The Purge is PSICOM's baby." Lightning said, turning to face the youngest members of their party. "Our military is split into two arms." As she spoke, Lightning climbed up the wall. "The Public Security and Intelligence Command known as PSICOM…"

"And the Guardian Corps." Rosalia finished. At Lightning's slightly surprised gaze, she explained, "My father…he used to be a member of the Guardian Corps back home before he met my mother…I hope they're both together happy now…" Hope took the girl's hand and squeezed it, knowing her parents' deaths would remain a strong wound even if she didn't show it. The girl had never let her mother's death go and it had only fueled her insecurities and fear over the years. Lightning nodded before continuing,

"I was Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment."

"Wait, but I don't get it." Hope said, "If you're not PSICOM, then why did you board the train?"

"For Serah." Lightning answered, "I had to rescue Serah before they transported the Vestige to Pulse, and out of my reach. My only chance to save her was to join the Purge."

"You're telling me you got on that train so you could save your sister?" Hope asked.

"That's really brave of you, Lightning. I hope I could do something like that if the time ever came." Rosalia smiled gently.

* * *

_When I said that…I wasn't even aware of what was going to happen in the far away future. I didn't know if I would come out of that journey a crystal or a Cie'th, alive or dead. All I thought of in that moment was how brave and true to her sister Lightning was. She had risked _everything _to save Serah. I felt as though I understood who Lightning Farron truly was in a bit more detail at that moment. When it came to Serah, Lightning seemed to be really gentle and kind…she loved her sister more than anyone else in the world, and she still does today. That, at the heart of the matter, made Lightning, well, Lightning._

* * *

"That's crazy. I could never do something like that." Hope stated, looking down.

"It's not a question of can or can't." Lightning argued, "There are some things in life you just do."

* * *

_It was then that I knew exactly why my parents left me. My mother loved my father and me more than her very life which is why she left instead of burdening us with hiding a l'Cie, thereby protecting us from PSICOM. My father loved me just as much and even though he knew he could die if he joined NORA, he still went ahead and did it, all for me. They will always be one of my biggest inspirations, Lightning as well._

* * *

"Easy for someone like you to say." Hope stated. The soldier huffed before she left the teenagers. Just as she did, said teens looked up.

"Lightning!" They cried but the soldier just continued climbing and left. Hope sighed before he returned to the rock.

"She left us." He said, closing his eyes. Rosalia reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"It'll be okay." She assured.

"How do you know?" Hope asked, looking as if all hope was lost.

"I…I don't, but I believe anyways." Rosalia smiled.

* * *

_And I did, I truly did. Serah had convinced me to keep on believing and I would, if only to help Hope get through this hard time. Because I always put others first and at that moment, he was all I really had._

* * *

Rosalia and Hope were still sitting, or standing in the girl's case, as Vanille and Sazh ran up to them.

"We made it!" Vanille grinned as she hunched over, catching her breath.

"Where's Grumpy?" Sazh asked. Rosalia giggled at the man's nickname for the last member of their party as Hope gestured to the wall behind them. "Got left behind, huh?" Sazh asked, looking at the best friends as Hope looked down and Rosalia comforted him. The man reached out to touch the boy's shoulder but Hope suddenly stood up.

"Leave me alone!" He cried.

"Hey!" Sazh cried, offended.

"This is pointless." Hope said, "Can't keep up. Can't get home. It's over for me."

"It's _not _over." Vanille insisted, "We'll get you and Rosa home!"

"I don't have one. Now that Mom is-" Hope started. Rosalia reached out and took Hope's hand in her own.

"What about your dad?" Vanille asked. Rosalia looked down as Hope walked away from her. She remembered clearly the night of the fireworks, her last time being normal.

* * *

_Rosalia stood in between Jacob and Hope as the three of them and Nora watched the fireworks. The four of them were supposed to go on this vacation with Hope's father, Bartholomew, but he had cancelled at the last minute, something Hope didn't care about. As Nora finished making her wish, she looked at her son._

"_Not making a wish, Hope?" She asked._

"_Mom…you still believe in that kind of stuff?" He asked. Nora nodded and Hope continued, "Wishing on fireworks? Really? That's for little kids." Nora grabbed her son then, crying,_

"_Who are you calling 'kid'?"_

"_You." Hope stated with a smile._

"_Oh, really? What about Rosa?" Nora asked, gesturing to the currently wishing teenager who was smiling blissfully. Hope smiled softly, knowing this vacation was one of the few times the girl was fully at peace with no fear eating at her heart, though he didn't know all of her fears._

"_Her too. What did you wish for?" Hope asked as Rosalia stopped wishing, giving him an indignant 'Hey!', and he refocused on the fireworks, relaxing in his mother's arms. Just then, Rosalia looked down, tempted to take the boy's hand before she gripped her wrist tightly, remembering her brand. Jacob put a hand on his daughter's shoulder and pulled her close. The girl refocused on the fireworks just as Hope looked down at her own hand, tempted to take it when his mother spoke._

"_That next year, your father could come with us." Nora answered. Rosalia smiled. She always did like Bartholomew, despite Hope's opinion of his father. The man had earned her respect and she would never blame him of anything. Hope pulled away from his mother, drawing Rosalia and Jacob's attention._

"_Why? It's better like this. We don't need him." He argued._

"_Hope, everyone needs a father." Rosalia said gently. The boy remained silent, glaring at the ground._

"_You can't hold a grudge against your father forever, Hope. He is the only father you'll ever have." Jacob reminded the boy._

"_Not as long as I have you." Hope argued, as Jacob had always felt closer to him than Bartholomew._

"_But I might not always be here." Jacob said. Hope said nothing and the four fell into silence._

* * *

"That night, they found the fal'Cie in the Bodhum Vestige. The next day, soldiers sealed off the town and we couldn't get back to Palumpolum. They forced us onto the train with everyone else. My mom and Mr. Aduro, they were frantic. They wanted to get us home, so they tried to fight." Hope explained. Rosalia and Vanille approached the boy, Rosalia going to hold his hand tightly. This was her story too, after all. "They got tricked, by Snow. He used them! He used her!"

"Hope…" Rosalia whispered as the boy released her hand when he turned to Vanille.

"Let's get you two home, okay?" Vanille smiled, "Your dad's got to be worried!"

"I know he is." Rosalia added, stepping closer to her best friend.

"Let him worry." Hope said, "Why should I care? He doesn't."

"Hope, that isn't true!" Rosalia cried, frustrated. She had sensed, from the very first _day_ she met Bartholomew Estheim that the man cared for his family more than anything else in the world. Heck, he even thought of her as family and offered to take care of her if anything bad happened to Jacob so she could always have a home to return to.

"Any father cares." Sazh added.

"Sazh?" Vanille asked as the girls looked at him. Rosalia knew instantly that Sazh had a child of his own just from how he talked.

"It's nothing, forget it." Sazh said, turning away. Rosalia groaned,

"What is it with people hiding everything?!" No one answered the girl. They all knew she was right, after all. Sazh walked up to a machine as the girls went up to Hope.

"Come with us, okay?" Vanille said.

"We're going to get home, Hope." Rosalia added as they led Hope to Sazh. As the machine near him activated, the party watched as it dragged a piece of junk towards it.

"We've got time." Sazh said, "We'll get you two back home. Your dad will be happy to see you." Hope said nothing causing Rosalia to march up to him and poke him in the nose saying,

"Boop!" Hope, Sazh and Vanille blinked in surprise. Sazh and Vanille mostly because they never expected Rosalia to do that. Hope, on the other hand, was surprised for a different reason. Rosalia hadn't done that in a year and never around people, it was always in private. While the gesture brought him some comfort, he had to ask,

"Rosa, why'd you do that?" The blonde girl simply smirked as she walked ahead, looking back to call,

"Come on! Every step from here on out is a step closer to home!" The blonde started climbing the junk, taking the lead for a little while.

* * *

_I knew Hope wasn't looking forward to seeing his father again, he never did. The two had a strained relationship for a long time but I was close with both of them and believed they could be reconciled. Bartholomew really cared for Hope, even if he didn't show it often. And it would be Snow and Bartholomew that would truly bring Hope back to me._

* * *

The group kept walking in almost complete silence, fighting monsters and robots when necessary.

"Isn't that a-?" Vanille asked as they found a wrecked ship.

"A warship from Pulse." Sazh explained.

"You mean, they made it this far?" Vanille asked.

"Of course not." Sazh said, shaking his head. "Not during the war, not since. They might have tried. But none of their forces made it into Cocoon. They only damaged the outer rim. Then the Sanctum's fal'Cie pushed them back. What, did you sleep through History?"

"More or less." Vanille admitted, giggling.

"Well, they must have known of a way to get into Cocoon. I mean, my ancestors originally lived on Pulse and ended up here at some point." Rosalia said. As she said that, she noticed a spark of recognition in Vanille's green eyes. _Why does my ancestors coming to Cocoon mean anything to her? _Rosalia wondered.

"So, what's a ship from Pulse doing here?" Vanille asked, "Was it how Rosa's ancestors came?"

"I don't think so. Once the war was over, people couldn't live near the rim anymore." Hope explained, "In places like the Hanging Edge. So the fal'Cie, they gathered up scrap from Pulse, and used it for rebuilding here. This is what was left: a bunch of garbage."

"How sad…" Rosalia whispered, playing with her beads.

"Who'da thunk? A Pulse fal'Cie and who-knows-what mixed in with all the trash?" Sazh said.

"Who'da thunk…" Vanille agreed almost sadly.

"Vanille? Are you okay?" Rosalia asked her friend as she put a hand on the girl's arm.

"Oh? Yep, I'm great." Vanille smiled, "Come on, let's keep going!" With that, the older girl ran slightly ahead. The three followed her and continued on, occasionally talking, fighting and scouting ahead. Sazh even expressed his worry for Snow, something they all shared. They had left the blonde back at Lake Bresha all by himself with no way to contact him, excluding Rosalia's powers she refused to use for even a second. Soon, the party reached a kind of platform and were greeted with Lightning.

"Hey, welcome to the party!" Sazh greeted.

"I'm glad you're okay." Rosalia added, smiling at the soldier. She had been worried that Lightning would fall and she would have failed her job again even though she knew the soldier could take care of herself.

"You miss us?" Vanille asked in greeting.

"Humph." Lightning said as she turned and continued walking.

"Would it kill her to smile?" Sazh asked.

"Maybe…she's hurting inside and nothing feels good enough to smile about." Rosalia suggested softly, knowing whenever she thought of her fate she felt the same exact way.

"Time to move." Lightning stated as she led the way.

"Okay!" Vanille smiled.

"We're right behind you." Rosalia added, grabbing Hope's wrist to keep him with her.

"I'll do what I can." Vanille said as she ran. The party ended up running into a couple Incubus, which Rosalia found very annoying since the dang birds danced to avoid attack. Luckily, the party managed to defeat the birds by working together. As they crossed a stairway Sazh had activated via a machine, Lightning commented,

"Doing good." Rosalia knew that was the biggest compliment the soldier would give them for a while. The party continued on, running into several more Incubus along with Pulsework Soldiers before they approached a clearing with a machine in the center. "What do you suppose that is?" Lightning asked.

"Dreadnought." Rosalia whispered.

"How did you know?" Vanille asked, her head cocked to the side.

"I….can't tell you." Rosalia answered as Lightning and Sazh walked up to the machine. As it came to life, Sazh cried,

"What is that?"

_Didn't I _just _answer that? _Rosalia thought.

"Pulse armament." Lightning answered as she took out her gunblade. The machine attacked, throwing boxes to the sides, one of which hit Rosalia, knocking her out of the battle. Quickly, Hope ran up to his friend to help and protect her. The girl drifted in and out of consciousness until she gave in, her eyes closing.

* * *

"_What are you afraid of?" This time, Rosalia wasn't surprised to see Serah talking to her. Crossing her arms, she said,_

"_Depends on what you're talking about."_

"_Your fears. What are you afraid of?" Serah repeated._

"…_.A lot." Rosalia admitted, "I'm afraid of darkness, of failing as the Mage…and of magic itself."_

"_Why magic? I mean, you're the Mage. Magic's in your blood, isn't it?" Serah asked._

"_You've obviously done your homework." Rosalia smiled. These days, most people didn't even know that the line of the Mage still continued, others didn't even know anything about the Mage. "I'm afraid of magic because it's part of what took my mother away from me. Being both the Mage and a l'Cie, she was an extreme danger to having around my father and myself. She thought if she stayed, PSICOM would come and kill us for protecting her. Magic from both Etro and Pulse was running through her veins just as it does for me now…it's a dangerous combination because if I use magic, I could hold my own against a lot of enemies. And on top of it all, if PSICOM and the Sanctum discovered that the line of the Mage continued and it was me, they'd force me to work with them to practically kill the people, which goes against everything I believe in." The girl closed her eyes, glad to get that off her chest. "What about you, Serah? I mean, what's your story?"_

"_Well, my parents died when I was young so it's been just me and Lightning for years." Serah explained, "She took care of me when no one else would. Then, I met Snow and thought everything would be perfect. But…then my brand appeared and I tried to break up with Snow."_

"_It didn't work?" Rosalia asked, smirking. Serah laughed as she shook her head._

"_Snow was stubborn and convinced me not to break up with him." She said, "He ended up proposing to me the night of the fireworks, right before Lightning's birthday. I never thought I could be so happy but…then the Purge happened and…you know the rest." Rosalia nodded and hugged the older girl, who was only slightly taller than her._

"_I'm so sorry." She whispered._

"_It's okay." Serah smiled, hugging the girl back. "I know I'll wake up someday. And now it's time for you to wake up too." Just then, everything faded to light._

* * *

"Rosa!" Hope yelled as the girl came to. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Rosalia groaned in response as she took the Phoenix Down offered by Vanille. She quickly drank it before allowing the two to help her follow the party, Lightning leading the way with Sazh behind her, looking back often to check on the kids.

"You alright there, Rosa?" Sazh called back.

"I'm as good as I can be." The girl grunted as she drank a potion for extra measure. The party was walking down a long thin hallway where no robots or monsters could come in.

"This looks like easy going!" Vanille smiled.

"Perfect place to recharge." Rosalia agreed as neither Vanille nor Hope left her side. Not even when Lightning went to scout ahead would they leave her. Not that the girl complained. Vanille was already feeling like a sister to Rosalia and Hope, well, he was her best friend and crush. She knew she could count on them for anything and this confirmed it. The party ended up reaching a pile of junk with no trouble. Rosalia stood with Vanille and Hope, away from the two adults. However, they made their way towards the two as they heard Sazh exclaim,

"Eden?" Just as they reached the party, Lightning was saying,

"Pulse and Sanctum fal'Cie? They're all the same. And we're all the same to them: expendable." Rosalia took both Vanille and Hope's hands at that, trying to assure herself. "I'm not dying a fal'Cie slave."

"So? What are you gonna do?" Sazh asked.

"Destroy it." Lightning stated.

"By yourself? What, are you crazy?" Sazh cried, "Say you pull it off…What's that get you? Satisfaction? Something happens to Eden, it's lights out Cocoon! You _want _that. You're a Pulse l'Cie now, so you just want to snuff out Cocoon!"

"No!" Vanille cried, "What about Serah? She said to save Cocoon!"

"It might even be our Focus to make sure Cocoon stays-" Rosalia started but Lightning cut her off.

"Our Focus doesn't matter." She said, "I don't take orders from fal'Cie. How I live is up to me."

"Don't you mean how you die?" Sazh asked.

"Think like that, and it's already over." Lightning stated, "Better to pick up your path and keep moving. Don't worry. I'm after the Sanctum. I'm not out to destroy the world. If it did come to that, wonder if out 'hero' would try to stop me?"

"You want to fight Snow now? Just like that, and you're enemies?" Sazh asked.

"Next time we meet, we might be too." Lightning said before she walked off.

* * *

_In that moment, fear was truly gripping all of us tightly. Even Lightning was feeling it but none of us understood that she was reaching out, asking for help. She was too guarded in that moment. But I still trusted her, I still knew she was a good person and would do the right thing in the end._

* * *

"Snow deserves it!" Hope suddenly cried, breaking the silence between the four. He then ran after Lightning, Rosalia on his tail, crying out his name.

* * *

_Hope…he was like Lightning. He was truly terrified but instead of building a wall around himself, he used it to fuel his anger towards Snow over our parents' deaths. He was very vulnerable and I knew if I didn't stay with him, something bad was definitely going to happen. I always would know Hope better than possibly even he knows himself and I knew then that I had to try and stop him from making a mistake._

* * *

"Wait for us!" Hope cried as he and Rosalia caught up with Lightning. When Lightning turned to the heavily breathing teens, Hope stated, "I'm going with you."

"Me too, I can't leave him alone." Rosalia added.

"I can't babysit you two anymore." Lightning said.

"We can fight. I'm not afraid." Hope insisted.

"Neither am I." Rosalia added as she held her head up high. Just then, PSICOM soldiers ran out.

"Great, a PSICOM hit squad." Lightning said sarcastically. One of the soldiers pushed a button on a remote, blocking the path back to Vanille and Sazh and starting a fire. Rosalia bit her lip, hard. She couldn't let the fire spread but that meant using magic.

_But…if that fire spreads, there could be even bigger trouble. _She thought before she made a decision. "You guys handle this, I'll take care of the fire."

"You're using magic?" Hope asked, surprised.

"It's not for battle and I can't let that fire spread. This is _necessary_." Rosalia stated before she ran towards the fire. The girl took out Angel Wing and knelt on the ground, her sword in the ground with her hands tightly on the hilt. Taking a deep breath, the girl cast Water and watched as it spread over the ground then up the fallen junk, soaking into it and stopping the flames. Once she got the fire out, she ran back up to join Lightning and Hope only to see they finished the battle.

"Not bad." Lightning commented.

"Really? Thanks." Hope smiled as he straightened up.

"Not bad on the flames either." Lightning commented again.

"Thank you." Rosalia nodded with a smile, "But I'm never using magic again."

"Why?" Lightning and Hope asked in unison.

"I just can't." Rosalia stated, refusing to elaborate.

"There will be more soldiers. We should keep moving." Hope changed the subject, earning him a grateful smile from Rosalia. "Lightning? Are you worried about the others? I'm sure they got away okay."

"They did and they're on the move." Rosalia added before she covered her mouth with her hand. _I have _got _to stop sensing things!_

"So can you two, if you leave now." Lightning stated, "With me, it'll be fight after fight. I don't know how it'll end. It's anybody's guess."

"I know that. But-I need to be stronger." Hope said.

"And…I need to learn to be brave." Rosalia added, looking down as her fears and insecurities showed through her body language.

"Lightning?" The two asked in unison as the soldier remained silent.

"Call me Light." She corrected.

"What's the plan from here?" Hope asked as Rosalia smiled gently. Lightning was beginning to trust them more.

"Through the Gapra Whitewood to Palumpolum. We'll find transport to Eden." Lightning answered.

"We live in Palumpolum." Rosalia smiled, "We can show you all the shortcuts, right Hope?"

"Yeah." Hope nodded in agreement.

"No side trips." Lightning warned.

"No need. I don't think l'Cie are welcome at home." Hope said as they started to walk. Rosalia crossed her arms and stared directly at her best friend.

"Have you forgotten that my mother was a l'Cie before she left?" She asked.

"No, I didn't." Hope shook his head. "It's just…your dad was possibly the only person back home who could've accepted l'Cie and now he's…"

"Gone." Rosalia finished, her voice becoming sadder. Hope squeezed her shoulder in comfort, earning a small smile from the girl. As they continued walking, Hope called up to Lightning,

"You spot something?"

"Not yet." The soldier answered as she continued walking.

"Need to get something off your chest?" The teenagers asked in unison, concern evident in their voices. Lightning didn't respond.

"I'm gonna go look ahead." Hope said before he ran ahead of the two girls. All he found, however, were a bunch of PSICOM Trackers and Guardian Corps Gunners. They even found a couple Uhians. Each group they came across went down easily, though not once did Rosalia use magic. Putting out the fire was necessary. Using magic in a battle wasn't at the moment. And the girl was determined to keep it that way.

"Any trace of the l'Cie?" A Tracker asked as the party hid from view.

"Nothing. No sign it's been activated." Another Tracker answered, standing near a Dreadnought.

"Who's there?" The first Tracker cried as he saw the party. Calmly, the trio took out their weapons and prepared for battle. Rosalia slashed at one of the Trackers as Lightning used Blitz followed by an attack and Hope cast Blizzard. The girl saw as one of the Trackers went to attack Hope and slid in front of the boy at the last second, taking the hit. Once he jumped back, the Tracker was slashed at by Lightning as Hope cast Blizzard again. Lightning took out the first Tracker and Rosalia slid in front of her, slashing at the Tracker that had tried to attack Lightning. Hope cast Blizzard and Lightning attacked him twice. Hope finished him with a Fire spell and the three put their respective weapons away.

"What was PSICOM doing here?" Hope asked as he and Rosalia approached the Dreadnought curiously.

"Probably thought we'd try and use a Pulse machine to escape." Lightning hypothesized.

"Maybe we should try it." Hope suggested as he walked closer to the machine. Rosalia backed up to get out of the way, even though she knew Hope was really good with machines. "What does this do?" The boy asked.

"Hey, you're gonna hurt yourself! Don't touch that!" Lightning cried.

"C'mon Light. If we couldn't use it, why would PSICOM even be checking it?" Rosalia smiled, "Besides, Hope's great with machines, just trust us." As she spoke, the girl jumped down to stand beside Lightning.

"What if it works?" Hope asked.

"Leave it!" Lightning cried, growing irritated as the boy didn't listen. Just then, Hope cried out as he tried to learn how to control the Dreadnought. "I told you to leave it." Lightning quipped. Rosalia grimaced slightly.

"Okay, so he isn't exactly the _best _with machines." She muttered.

"Stop! Stop already!" Hope cried as he attempted to control the machine. He managed to get the machine to stop at least. As he gasped for air, he said, "I think I got it. Light! Rosa! I think I can work this!" Lightning didn't say anything, instead approaching their one barrier. Seeing Hope prepare to strike it, Rosalia ran forward and grabbed Lightning's arm, pulling her out of the way just as Hope created a bridge.

"Good reflexes." Lightning complimented the girl.

"My dad basically trained me in everything I know about fighting." Rosalia explained, "I guess you could say I'm a different sort of, unofficial, member of the Guardian Corps." The soldier nodded as the two girls followed Hope in the Dreadnought. He was actually doing great until he came to an edge and fell. "Hope!" Rosalia cried as the boy cried out. She and Lightning reached the edge to see Hope on the ground.

"Nice landing." Lightning quipped before she led the way down, Rosalia behind her. Once the two reached Hope, the boy stood up. "Let's get moving."

"Just need a minute. Still a bit winded." Hope said. As he finished speaking, Rosalia hugged Hope tightly before she pulled away and punched him in the arm, hard.

"Ow!" Hope cried.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" Rosalia scolded. Just then, Lightning spoke.

"You two are too soft." She said before she started walking again.

"Wait up!" Hope and Rosalia cried as they began to follow her. As they walked, Hope stated,

"Hope we find another one of those things."

"If we do, you better not fall again." Rosalia stated. Hope rolled his eyes at the girl and remained silent. They were used to the other acting like that, after all, so this kind of conversation was natural for them. When they came to a fork in the road, after an encounter with some unlucky Guardian Corps Gunners, Rosalia asked, "The road splits. Which way should we go?"

"This way." Lightning answered as she led the two teenagers down a path that led to a group of Guardian Corps Gunners. They went down easily, however, so Rosalia wasn't worried. As they continued walking, Hope asked,

"I guess we head to the Whitewood, huh?" Lightning nodded in silent confirmation. Soon, the party reached a bridge and Rosalia and Hope, both exhausted, were lagging behind. Hope ended up falling on the bridge. Rosalia silently bent down to stay by her best friend's side when Lightning said,

"This isn't working. I mean, you're liabilities. You'll just slow me down."

"What?" The two cried as they stood up.

"I'm sorry, but I can't protect you when-" Suddenly, Lightning cried out in pain, grabbing her chest.

"You can't leave us here!" Rosalia cried.

"You've got to take us with you!" Hope added.

"Enough!" Lightning cried, "The whole world is against us!" The soldier knelt on the ground in pain. "I can barely keep myself alive. Let alone some helpless kids! I don't have time to baby you. You want to get tough and brave? Do it on your own!" Suddenly, a light pink rose symbol was glowing under Lightning. Quickly, the soldier got out of the way as the teenagers shielded their eyes. When the light faded, Rosalia sensed the creature in front of them was an Eidolon, Odin specifically. "This cannot be happening." Lightning said as she stood. Odin moved to attack the teens, who fell to the ground in fear. "Look out!" Lightning cried, running forward and barely managing to keep Odin's blade away from them. She pushed him back, giving the teenagers time to stand up and get their weapons out. Right as the battle began, Hope cast Protect with Lightning casting Ruin before the two swordswomen ran forward and attacked. When the two jumped back, Odin cast Thundara, hitting Hope and Rosalia. Lightning cast Cure when Odin suddenly shot forward, slicing at Rosalia and Hope, knocking them down. Rosalia groaned as she gulped down a potion quickly and Hope cast Cure. Lightning tried to attack Odin but nothing got past.

"He's got a shield up!" Rosalia cried as she waited for an opportune moment to attack. Understanding, Lightning and Hope both cast Cure repeatedly, making sure all three of them had no injuries. When Odin dropped the shield, he cast Thundara again, aiming directly at the teenagers. "Okay, why does he keep attacking us?!" Rosalia growled as she quickly ran forward and slashed at Odin a few times before jumping back out of his reach. Hope and Lightning didn't respond as Lightning attacked and Hope cast Blizzard and Frost…when Odin slashed at the teens. Lightning cast Sparkstrike and Aquastrike consecutively before she cast Cure on both teens and Hope returned the favor by casting a Cure of his own. Rosalia did her part by throwing the soldier a Phoenix Down. Hope cast Fire and Blizzard as Rosalia attacked and Lightning again cast Sparkstrike and Aquastrike. Just as they finished, Odin cast Thundara, hitting the teenagers once again. Odin seemed intent on targeting the teenagers as Lightning kept having to cast Cure on them.

"Rosa, do something!" Lightning shouted.

"I can't use magic!" Rosalia cried as she jumped up and began to spin in a circle, Angel Wing and Demon Wing stretched out. Her frustration must have fueled her magic slightly because as she attacked Odin in the air, Angel Wing glowed white and Demon Wing glowed black. The attack was more powerful than her usual attacks as evidenced by the fact that she actually made a bigger dent in Odin's health. The blonde girl blinked before she tried to dodge an attack from Odin that managed to hit all three of them. Lightning and Hope instantly cast Cure in unison before Hope cast Blizzard and Fire and Lightning cast Sparkstrike and Aquastrike. Rosalia threw Demon Wing at Odin at the same instant before she struck him with Angel Wing as she retrieved the black sword. Finally, Odin's sword was lodged into the ground as the Eidolon was lifted into the air. Rosalia gasped as he became a horse and neighed before he galloped down to the ground and allowed Lightning to hop on while holding his sword. Odin vanished after that and Lightning's brand glowed pink before she fell to the ground again.

"Lightning!" Hope and Rosalia cried as they knelt in front of the soldier. Hope suddenly gasped and compared Lightning's brand to his and Rosalia's.

"Your brand looks different. Was that an Eidolon? Like l'Cie can summon?" Hope asked.

"Yes." Rosalia answered with a nod. "Specifically, that was Odin." Lightning shook her head.

"Magic and mumbo-jumbo. I must've hit my head on that Purge train." She scoffed. The three stood up then.

"Um…Are we really in your way?" Hope asked as Rosalia placed a hand on his shoulder. Lightning put her gunblade away silently and began to walk away. "I'll do better! I'll try harder, I'll-"

"Hope." Lightning cut him off. There was a pause before Lightning looked back and said, "We'll toughen you two up." Hope and Rosalia looked at the soldier in shock as she walked a little bit and added, "I'm sorry about before." The teens smiled and began to follow her. As they crossed the bridge, Hope asked,

"Rosa, will you _finally _tell us why you won't use magic?"

"I can't." Rosalia refused, shaking her head.

"Why can't you? You've been saying that ever since you became a full l'Cie. Just tell me!" Hope cried. Rosalia had always told him everything and the fact that she didn't trust him enough to confess what he thought was something so simple bothered him a lot.

"I just can't tell you!" Rosalia cried, snapping.

"Why not?" Lightning asked calmly, her arms crossed.

"Because this is my burden to bear! My stupid, unescapable burden! No matter what happens, I can _never _use magic because I would fail!" Rosalia cried.

"How would you know if you don't try?" Lightning asked.

"Because the same thing happened to my mother! Magic ruined my life and I refuse to ever use it! I don't care if it's my fate, I don't care if I can't avoid it, I'm going to do whatever it takes to avoid using it for as long as I possibly can!" The girl cried as tears started to form in her eyes. She was facing the other two, yelling at them. Suddenly, the girl's right wrist, her l'Cie brand specifically, glowed a bright silver. The girl cried out as she gripped her wrist tightly, falling to her knees. She heard Hope and Lightning call her name but she wasn't focusing on that as a silver crescent moon shape appeared beneath her feet similar to the pink rose that had appeared below Lightning's a little while ago. The spheres suddenly shot into the sky and all three watched as an Eidolon flew down. Rosalia instantly knew that this one was Valefor and what this all meant.

* * *

_When I saw Valefor fly out of the sky, I knew right away that I wasn't going to escape that adventure without using magic and revealing myself as the Mage. But I was actually okay with that because I knew it would be because _I _made the decision and not some predetermined one I had known about. I also knew that it would be because I was protecting my friends and that was better than working for PSICOM any day._

* * *

"Watch out!" Rosalia cried as Valefor swooped down, forcing Lightning and Hope to drop down to the ground.

"What is that?" Hope cried.

"Valefor, she's my Eidolon." Rosalia explained.

"How did you-" Hope started but Rosalia cut him off,

"I can sense it, okay!" Just then, Valefor fired a super charged beam that exploded underneath all three of them, knocking them off their feet. Quickly, Lightning cast Sparkstrike and Aquastrike as Hope cast Fire and Blizzard. Valefor simply beat her wings repeatedly, stopping the three from attacking. When the strong wind stopped, Rosalia ran forward and slashed at Valefor with barely any effect. Before Hope or Lightning could help, however, Valefor used her attack Sonic Wings, sending a shock wave at the three, dealing a lot of damage and causing Delay. Slowly, and against their will, Hope and Lightning cast Cure repeatedly. Finally, Rosalia threw her head back and cried, "That's enough!" She threw her hands out to the sides, light pushing Lightning and Hope away from the battle.

"Rosa!" The two cried in unison. However, the girl didn't respond. Instead, she began to float in the air and light began to wrap around her, starting at her feet and slowly wrapping around her like a cocoon of light as she looked up. When the light completely enveloped her, Rosalia gasped. Above her she saw every Mage there ever was, from Propheta all the way to her mother, Elena. One in particular stood out to Rosalia. That one was a young woman with red hair, streaked with white of course, and blue green eyes. She wore a red orange halter top, a knee length orange skirt with red lining, dark brown boots, several gold bracelets on her left wrist, two bead necklaces, a black choker, a thin brown fur pelt hanging on her right hip, beads on her left hip and several beads in her hair that hung at her shoulders. The Mage beads were wrapped tightly around her forehead, like with the rest of the Mages, and her features…were eerily similar to Vanille's. Elena was smiling at her daughter. Her blonde hair and gray eyes with blue specks were identical to her daughter's. She wore a light yellow three quarter length sleeve shirt that showed her shoulders, white pants, light yellow and white boots, a silver anklet around her left ankle and a silver pendant given to her by Jacob as an anniversary present.

"You did it, Rosa. You're ready." Elena smiled as she reached out and took Rosalia's right hand in her left. White light traveled from mother to daughter as Rosalia Propheta became the full Mage. In Hope and Lightning's view, however, the light began to peel away from the girl exactly as it had wrapped around her, only it revealed her appearance to have changed. Now, Rosalia wore a white robe with red, orange and yellow embroidery along the bottom, sides and sleeves, which ended above her wrists, showing the glowing brand of the Mage on her right wrist. The hood was up, with all of her hair resting on her right shoulder and her beads were now around her forehead with the new orange beads glowing as did her streaks and her brand of the Mage.

"Rosa…?" Hope whispered as he and Lightning stared at the floating girl in shock. Rosalia's eyes, however, were completely focused on Valefor.

"I am Rosalia Propheta." She finally said, "I am the Mage of this generation. And I refuse to let you hurt innocent people. _Especially _my friends. It is my duty to protect the people of the world and protect them I shall!" As soon as she finished speaking, the Mage held her arms out to her sides. Six balls of fire, three over each shoulder, appeared and were thrown at the flying Eidolon. Valefor howled in pain before she moved to attack. However, Rosalia cast Protect and a pure white shield materialized in front of her. In the next several minutes, the Mage showed her true power, casting every spell from Fire to Thunder in the most powerful way possible. Hope and Lightning were left in complete awe of each attack she gave. Finally, the girl raised her hands above her head, brought them down in front of her face pressed together with her eyes closed, opened her eyes and threw her hands out, allowing several powerful rays of pure light to shoot out from behind her and attack Valefor. When the attack finished, Valefor flew high in the air and spun slightly before she flew down and allowed Rosalia to climb on. Once Valefor disappeared, the Mage floated down to the ground, her head bowed. Hope and Lightning slowly approached the panting girl and it was Lightning who broke the silence.

"You're the Mage." It was a statement, not a question.

"I have been my whole life." Rosalia confirmed.

"Why did you hide it?" Hope asked as he knelt down beside the girl.

"My mother…she was the Mage as well and she was taken from me by both the fal'Cie and PSICOM. I didn't want a life like that, even if my fate is unescapable." She explained.

"But, Rosa…that was incredible! You should be proud of your gift." Hope insisted. Rosalia stood up and shook her head.

"No, for me, magic won't be seen as a gift." She said, "Because I have it…I can't be anything other than the Mage. My fate was set in stone the minute I was born and I can't change it. That's why I came with you guys. So I could learn to be brave and have faith in myself."

"From what I just saw, you have a lot of faith in yourself." Lightning said. At Rosalia's confused gaze, she elaborated, "What you just did was incredible. Your spells were more powerful than any magic I've seen so far and you looked pretty confident up in the sky."

"Because I needed to protect you two." Rosalia said.

"Then fight as if you're protecting someone." Lightning said, "Besides, isn't it the Mage's job to protect the world?" Rosalia nodded. "Then I think you're covered." Rosalia smiled slightly at the two and nodded.

"Alright." She agreed as Hope helped her walk for a minute before she could support herself better.

"You really were amazing, Rosa." Hope whispered. Rosalia smiled softly,

"Thank you." She then poked him on the nose, whispering, "Boop." After that, she gently kissed the boy on the cheek before she focused on keeping up with Lightning, not noticing the pink tint to Hope's cheeks. As the three reached a clearing, a PSICOM Ranger cried,

"L'Cie!" The three prepared for battle, Lightning taking out her gunblade, Hope taking out his boomerang and Rosalia holding her swords out, though she was prepared to use magic whenever necessary.

"Got my back?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah!" Hope cried as he faced a couple Uhlan.

"Don't forget to summon Odin if necessary. I'll do the same with Valefor." Rosalia reminded as she stood on both Hope and Lightning's sides, looking from the Uhlans to the Rangers.

"Good idea." Lightning commented. She held her hand over her heart where her brand was and whispered, "Odin." Lightning's pink rose shaped crystal appeared in her hand then and she threw it in the air before she jumped up and sliced it. Instantly, Odin appeared in the resulting flash of light and he caught Lightning as she fell to the ground, spun her and threw her back in the air so she could land on her feet correctly. "Cut us a path!" Lightning cried as she and Odin prepared for battle while Hope and Rosalia got out of the way. The teenagers watched as Odin and Lightning fought, easily defeating the Rangers and leaving the Uhlan. Odin stuck his sword in the ground before he jumped up and transformed into a horse and letting Lightning on. As he transformed, Lightning said, "We do this together!" When she got on, the soldier cried, "Let's ride!" The two attacked several times before Lightning cried, "The storm is here!" Odin jumped up and Lightning leaped into the air. She spun in a circle, attacking the Uhlan hard. When she landed on the ground, she reattached the swords and gave it to Odin, saying, "Until next time." With that, Odin leapt into the sky and Hope and Rosalia rejoined the battle. Lightning attacked as Hope cast Fire and Rosalia cast a powerful Water spell that had the water wrapping around her slightly before it became almost a typhoon and washed over one of the Uhlan. Rosalia cast Protect just as both Uhlan launched forward to hit the trio. Lightning and Hope cast Cure as the Mage bent on the ground and stuck her swords in, casting Quake and causing the earth to rise up and hit the Uhlans. Hope then cast Fire and Blizzard one after the other as Rosalia cast Aero, which for her was a huge tornado, and Lightning attacked. Lightning then cast Sparkstrike and Aquastrike repeatedly as Rosalia's swords became pure light, Angel Wing, and pure darkness, Demon Wing.

"Light, watch out!" She cried before she shot forward, hitting both machines hard enough to knock them back. Seeing both of her partners were injured, Rosalia quickly cast Cure as they both attacked. Once she did that, the Mage jumped in the air, brought her hands up over her head, brought them down with her eyes closed, opened her eyes and threw her hands out, letting light attack them as she did with Valefor. She cast Blizzard, causing a huge wall of ice to encase one Uhlan before it broke. With several more key strikes and spells, the party finally managed to finish the machines, both teens panting heavily, Rosalia mostly from not being used to using so much magic at all.

"We'll stop here." Lightning said as she saw the panting teens.

"Sorry." The teens apologized in unison.

"Don't sweat it." Lightning said as the best friends sat down. "I'll look around. You two rest up." The soldier left and the two caught their breath in silence until Hope asked,

"Rosa? Why didn't you tell me you're the Mage?"

"Because…if nobody knew, I could believe I was normal, which is what I wanted." Rosalia admitted.

"Sorry, but you aren't normal." Hope said. Rosalia nudged him playfully as they relaxed. "Is that the last secret you're keeping?" Hope asked in a teasing tone.

"Yes." Rosalia said with a teasing grin.

* * *

_In that moment, it was almost as if nothing had ever happened to us. If I had closed my eyes, I would have seen Hope and me in my living room back home in Palumpolum. We would've been sitting on the couch just talking and Dad and Mrs. Estheim would have been talking in the kitchen. We hadn't had that in so long…it was refreshing, really._

* * *

Rosalia shifted and opened her eyes only to see she had fallen asleep on Hope's shoulder and Lightning watching them with a small smile.

"Light?" She whispered as she rubbed her eyes.

"We're not leaving yet, go back to sleep." Lightning said. Rosalia shook her head as she pushed her hood down, though she left her hair on her right shoulder.

"No." She stated.

"Why not?" Lightning asked, surprised. It was obvious the Mage was tired.

"I wanted to talk to you." She explained.

"About what?" The soldier asked.

"Serah." Rosalia answered.

"Why?" Lightning asked, confused.

"Because we're a group and I feel like I should know more about you. Serah seems like a good starting point." Rosalia explained as she put her chin in the palm of her hands while her elbows rested on her knees. Lightning shook her head at the girl's childish position before she began to speak.

"Serah's my younger sister, we lost our parents when we were very young." Lightning explained, "She was all I had left in the world so I've been taking care of her ever since. Everything I've ever done in my life has been for my sister. I've provided for her so she could go to school, I got a job so we could get money and I protected her whenever she needed it. She wanted to become a teacher, you know."

"Why?" Rosalia asked, curious.

"She said it was because she liked kids and wanted to help them learn and grow." Lightning answered, "What about you? What were your parents like?" Rosalia looked down and began to play with her fingers in her lap.

"My mother…she was the Mage like I am. She met my father when he was in the Guardian Corps, he was in charge of Palumpolum security. He actually saved my mother and then she saved him right back. They became partners after that and they were married when my father retired from the Guardian Corps. He was actually childhood best friends with Hope's mother so before we were even born we were destined to be friends." Rosalia explained, "When my mother was pregnant with me, she was branded a l'Cie in her sleep like I was and when I was born, she had to leave so PSICOM wouldn't hurt my father or me for protecting her. She lasted a while before PSICOM found her, though I don't know how they killed her, since she was stronger than I am. This ribbon I wear…it was the same one my mother used to hide her l'Cie brand. This ribbon and my beads are all I have left of her. My father…he only died recently, the day of the Purge exactly." In that instant, the tears and sadness Rosalia had been holding back since Jacob fell to his death rose to the surface and she began to cry. "I-I'm…I'm sorry." She managed between her sobs.

"It's alright, it'll be a while before the wound heals." Lightning reassured, rubbing the girl's shoulder as if she was her mother. Rosalia smiled at the soldier's assurance.

"Thank you." She smiled. Lightning nodded before she asked,

"You've been holding it back since he died, didn't you?"

"Yeah…I had to be strong, for Hope." Rosalia nodded. Lightning had to admire the girl, she was stronger than she thought she was after all. After a brief silence, Lightning said,

"Go lay down and get some sleep." Rosalia nodded and went back to Hope. She laid on his shoulder and fell asleep instantly. However, her head fell to the boy's chest as his own rested on top of her's and his hand curled around her waist, holding her close. Lightning had to smile at that.

* * *

_Lightning…I feel like that moment with her was when we truly connected. If you compared our relationship than to our relationship now, you'd be surprised how far we've come. Lightning used to not imagine anyone considering her a mother but she will always be one to me. Because that's how our makeshift family fell in the end. Lightning was the mother, Sazh was the father, Vanille was my sister, Snow was my uncle and Hope was my…well, crush I guess would have been the proper term. But our family has extended since then, with three people coming closer and playing a huge role in our story, one being Serah herself. But that's a story for later, of course. Anyways, when I fell asleep, I met Serah again._

* * *

"_I'm proud of you." Serah smiled as Rosalia saw her. "You accepted your being the Mage." Rosalia crossed her arms._

"_I'm still not confident, though." She muttered._

"_Why not?" Serah asked, cocking her head to the side slightly._

"_Because I feel as if I'm not good enough. Like I'll be the worse Mage ever no matter how hard I try. I mean, I haven't done anything for 14 years and I could've done so much! Heck, I might have even been able to stop the Purge! But I was too cowardly to do _anything_! I'm too insecure to make any difference in the world." Rosalia sighed._

"_What if, hmm? Life's full of those. The point is that you make the decision you want the first time so you have no regrets in the end." Serah smiled, "You've made your choice, now all you have to do is follow through with your objective. I believe in you, Rosa. I know you can do it!"_

* * *

**Hey guys, it's been a little while hasn't it? Well, happy February! Ironically, when I was typing this the Super bowl was on and Katy Perry was singing Firework, Rosalia's theme song. Strange, huh? And if you're a fan of RWBY then here's some information. The boop moments are inspired by Ren and Nora's interactions and the song Boop, go listen to it cause it basically fits Hope and Rosalia, except for one line but what're ya gonna do? If you like RWBY, I ask that you also send your prayers to Monty Oum, who is currently in the hospital and not doing well. If you've never heard of him, go to Youtube and watch the series Dead Fantasy, which combines Final Fantasy and Dead or Alive. He is an amazing person and I am dedicating this chapter to him, though he'll never read it. Anyways, the flashback is added onto the first chapter and to show more of Hope's relationship with Jacob. And I refer to Valefor as a female because that's what she is in Final Fantasy 10 so I'm going off that. Alright, moving on, thanks to FloraFaveXNara-Wire (Does this work for you?), Guest (Thanks for the idea, you led to the conversation at the end.), He4artBreaker101, MCRDanime, Epic Zealot Productions 2.0, ChaosDancer12 and Yume-Kamino for reviewing/favoring along with all 218 readers! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, it is over 10,000 words again, and please review to let me know what you think. Oh yeah, and anyone who guesses who that Mage Rosalia was interested in, besides her mother, is will get a free spoiler of their choosing! Remember, it's the one that looks like Vanille which is a big hint in itself. Please review to let me know what you think and pray for Monty to get better, he's been such an inspiration for me and I feel I can at least do this. Later!**


	5. Chapter 5:Revenge Plots

_Once we woke up, the three of us headed off for the Gapra Whitewood. Of course, before that, Lightning was smirking at Hope and me as we woke up with my head on his chest and his hand at my waist. It was the first smile I had seen on her face and if I hadn't been so embarrassed, I would've teased her about it. But I was also distracted by something else. My powers weren't as strong as they were before. I was confused until I remembered what Mom told me a long time ago. When the Mage accepts her powers, she will be as powerful as a normal l'Cie until she confronts her biggest fear head on. Then, she receives her Semblance, the power that only _she _can have, and her powers increase, though she will still require training like a normal, well, l'Cie. So, I stopped questioning my sudden weakness and worked as hard as I usually did. I still used my swords too, if only to give myself a medium through which my powers can flow. We were pretty silent through the walk toward the Gapra Whitewood…but everything really changed there._

* * *

Lightning ran into the area and looked around for a minute, making sure the cost was clear before she gestured for Hope and Rosalia to join her. The two teenagers hurried to join the soldier and stood behind her.

"Can't believe we made it." Hope stated.

"You had that much doubt in us?" Rosalia teased as Lightning nodded in agreement with Hope.

"No!" Hope shook his head when he realized his best friend was laughing he pushed her lightly when they noticed the door was closing.

"That'll slow down pursuit." Lightning said.

"But aren't there troops on this side?" Hope asked. "We can't relax just yet."

"Right." Lightning agreed.

"She wasn't suggesting that, Hope." Rosalia said, pushing him slightly. "Come on, when has Light ever been that positive?"

"…I'm right here, Rosa." Lightning stated.

"I know." Rosalia chirped with a grin. _That's the first time she called me 'Rosa'._

"Hmph. Being positive really fits you." Lightning said, shaking her head.

"That's just me, trust me, it's not a Mage thing." Rosalia stated. Lightning and Hope looked at her for a minute before Lightning said,

"We press on."

* * *

_Light said being positive suited me…To this day, I don't know if she saw the insecurities I carried with me yet. I know Hope and the others didn't notice them until I revealed them and managed to conquer them. Back then, being positive was my mask to protect myself from pity or anything else they could have offered. I just…wanted to be strong and felt I had to hide my insecurities to be a good friend and daughter._

* * *

"I'll take point. You two watch our backs." Lightning instructed. She started to walk away when Hope spoke up.

"Actually…Why don't you let me take point?" He asked.

"Can you handle it?" Lightning asked as she and Rosalia looked at the boy. Hope ran ahead of the two and stated,

"It's not a question of can or can't."

"Now you're learning." Lightning said with a small smile as Rosalia began to smile. Lightning gestured towards their path and Hope smiled before he turned around and began to walk. He stopped, however, when Lightning said, "Keep your eyes front. Rosa and I'll watch the rear."

"Yeah! You can count on us, Hope!" Rosalia agreed.

"Got it." Hope said, not turning around and continued walking. Rosalia leaned in front of Lightning and gasped.

"Are you…smiling?" She asked, her eyes comically wide.

"Yeah, so?" Lightning asked, her smile falling away.

"I knew it! You aren't heartless, you're human like Hope and I!" Rosalia grinned. Lightning stared at the girl before she shook her head with a smile and said,

"Come on, let's go." Rosalia nodded happily and began to walk backwards alongside Lightning, keeping her eyes on the back before turning back around and following Hope. "We've got your back. You call the shots now." Lightning called up to Hope. Hope nodded in acknowledgement as he continued walking ahead, following Lightning's instructions of looking forward.

"Don't go too far!" Rosalia called in warning.

"You can trust me, Rosa." Hope called back and Rosalia could hear the smile in his voice. For a moment, she could fool herself into thinking she was back home with her father, Hope, Nora and Bartholomew, with him and Hope reconciled on top of it all. Rosalia shook herself out of the daydream as they went through several battles against some kind of leech, she wasn't sure and she blocked her senses.

"Hey Rosa, how come your powers aren't as strong as they were after fighting Valefor?" Hope asked after they finished another battle.

"Because I haven't conquered my biggest fear yet." Rosalia explained, "Once I do that, I'll be able to get my powers back to the level they were at."

"Then why were they like that in the first place?" Lightning asked.

"I guess because I've been blocking mine for 14 years, which is a record according to my mom, they were all ready to explode when I started using them so I got, I think, a supercharge." Rosalia explained, "I'm not really sure how else to explain it."

"You explained it fine." Lightning assured, trying to boost the girl's confidence. Rosalia smiled slightly,

"Thanks." The trio kept walking until they reached a platform with an elevator and Hope asked,

"Have you ever been here before? On duty, I mean."

"No, I haven't. This area's covered by the Woodlands Observation Battalion." Lightning answered. "You two scared?"

"Not really. I'm ready to fight if I have to." Hope said.

"And I'm going to fight as long as it keeps the people safe. It's my job now, I guess." Rosalia added.

* * *

_I was kind of surprised how easy it was, accepting my duty as the Mage. I mean, I accepted my powers and then was perfectly okay with having so many peoples' lives in my hands. I know it was what I was born to do but it felt…more natural than I thought it would. I was ready to fight anything as long as it meant some innocent child could stay out of a war, if it came to that._

* * *

Lightning then silently took out a survival knife and held it out to Hope.

"To keep you safe." She simply said. Gingerly, Hope took the knife from her hands. "I'll want it back. I don't have anything for you, Rosa."

"That's fine. I have this." To show her point, Rosalia held her hand up and flames instantly appeared at her fingertips. Lightning gave a small chuckle as she walked towards the elevator.

"Lightning." Hope suddenly said. "I'm glad I followed you. By myself, I would've had no chance."

"What about me? Huh?" Rosalia asked, crossing her arms.

"I'll always have you, Rosa. You never leave my side." Hope said with a light smile. Rosalia nodded in agreement before she turned to Lightning.

"I'm glad I followed you too. I never would've accepted my powers if you and Hope hadn't pushed me like that. So…thank you." Rosalia said as she fiddled with her sleeve, as she still wore the Mage cloak.

"Time to move." Lightning said after a brief silence.

"Right." The teens nodded in unison as they joined her on the elevator, which Hope swiftly activated. Once they reached the next floor, Lighting said,

"Trust Rosa and me to cover your tail and stay focused on moving forward."

"Okay." Hope nodded as he stepped off, once again leading the way. They ended up getting into several more battles along the way but nothing they couldn't handle.

"The military uses this place for bioweapons research. Lots of angry teeth and claws." Lightning explained as they walked.

"So…they use this place to perform experiments on animals?" Rosalia asked.

"Yes." Lightning nodded matter of factly.

"That's horrible! Oh, those poor animals! Can't we do something?" Rosalia cried.

"….There's nothing we can do. Focus on the mission and nothing else." Lightning instructed.

"But-" Rosalia tried to argue.

"Focus." Lightning stated. Rosalia sighed and hung her head, her blonde hair slipping to cover the right side of her face, as her hood was still up and her hair still rested on her right shoulder.

"Rosa cares a lot about animals." Hope explained, "She's never had a pet, yet she cares about almost all living creatures."

"Except Cie'th." Rosalia stated, shivering as she thought of what she considered to be monsters. Suddenly, the Alpha Behemoth ahead turned on the trio and attacked.

"We can't just rush into this thing." Hope warned as they got their bearings.

"Good to know." Rosalia stated before she cast Fire, flames spitting out of her hands and a single ball of fire launching when she held her arms out horizontally, just like in the battle against Valefor. At the same instant, Lightning did a Powerchain and Hope cast Water, Fire and Water again. Hope continued casting those spells as Lightning began to Cure the two, saying,

"I've got your back." Rosalia, on the other hand, was preparing a Thunder spell, lightning crackling at her fingers before she held her hands out towards the Alpha Behemoth and huge bolts came out of her palms, striking the beast and causing to cry out in pain. Just then, the Alpha Behemoth struck Hope as Lightning charged forward and Rosalia began to Cure Hope and Lightning while Hope himself cast Protect. Hope then cast Shell while Lightning struck again and Rosalia cast Water, two pools of water appearing in her palms before she combined them and allowed the small amount of water to be thrown out at the beast. Hope started casting Fire and Water again and Rosalia cast Blizzard, ice gathering in her palms that she quickly stuck onto the ground, causing spikes of ice to form around the beast when Lightning cried,

"Hope! Rosa!"

"Thanks!" The two teens replied as the effects of Lightning's Cure spell took kicked in. Lightning managed to cast Aquastrike and Water after that when she was struck. Hope followed with the Fire and Water as Rosalia focused on healing the two. Despite the fact that her magic was weaker, she still had the strongest Cure spell out of the three, possibly because the Mage was similar to something her mother told her other worlds had, a White Mage, who focused on healing she believed it was. They continued in that way, though when the Alpha Behemoth tried to strike the two, Rosalia released Protect, allowing two white shields to appear and keep Lightning and Hope safe.

"Let's keep this up." Hope encouraged as they packed up their weapons. Rosalia sighed as she healed herself, as well as giving herself her energy back. She was still getting used to letting the magic that flowed through her veins free, after all. As they continued walking, Hope started to look around.

"What is it?" Lightning and Rosalia asked in unison.

"We need to hide!" Hope said and he suddenly grabbed the two girls' wrists and pulled them to hide just as PSICOM troops flew by. "They don't seem like they're even looking for us. I mean, we're l'Cie and we're on the loose." Hope said as they got up, confused.

"PSICOM's keeping it all under wraps." Lightning explained.

"Meaning?" Rosalia asked.

"Meaning they don't want their failure publicized." Lightning explained, "Better to lose us than lose their pride."

"So the other soldiers don't know about us. Right?" Hope asked as he crossed his arms.

"Right. They don't know _anything _about any fugitives." Lightning said sarcastically as she started walking again.

"Huh, Light's capable of sarcasm too. Who knew?" Rosalia whispered to Hope, teasingly. Luckily, Lightning didn't hear her as they made their way to the elevator waiting for them. Soon, with a few fights in between, the trio reached a kind of gate, Rosalia suspected. Hope sat down tiredly and Rosalia squatted down, needing some rest, just not a lot.

"I wonder how the others are doing." Hope said.

"I hope they're okay." Rosalia added wishfully.

"Sazh and Vanille?" Lightning asked the two. "Who knows?"

"How optimistic." Rosalia muttered sarcastically.

"Even if they got away, they'll get caught eventually." Lightning elaborated, "Then they'll have to choose: resist or surrender."

"Surrender…" Hope said, drawing Rosalia's attention, and gaze, to him. "Do you think _he's _still alive?"

"You mean Snow?" Lightning asked as she turned to face the two teens. Rosalia kept her gaze on Hope as she sensed the sorrow, the tragedy and the anger rising in him, giving her a sense of what she knew was darkness. "He's too stubborn to die. And that's his best quality. He's arrogant and chummy from the get-go. He thinks he's everybody's pal. Never liked him much."

"Geez, never would have guessed." Rosalia muttered under her breath.

"He leads around a bunch of kids-gang called 'NORA'." Lightning continued, not hearing Rosalia. However, as she heard that, the Mage's eyes widened.

"Where'd they get the name 'Nora'?" Hope asked.

"It's a stupid acronym." Lightning explained, "Their little code. Stands for 'No Obligations, Rules or Authority'. Must be nice." Just then the gate glowed and Lightning moved to enter it as Hope and Rosalia stood up.

"It's irresponsible." Hope said before he walked through, Rosalia raising her hand to try and stop him but she said nothing. Sadly, she lowered her hand and followed Hope and Lightning.

"Is he always like this?" Lightning asked Rosalia quietly.

"It used to only be when his dad was brought up. Now, I barely get to see the Hope I know." Rosalia admitted quietly, her hands coming up to grip her arms as she crossed them.

"Well then…" Lightning said as she and Rosalia reached the elevator, alongside Hope. The trio continued walking on in silence, fighting occasionally. However, the tense atmosphere that Hope caused was still there, hanging above them like a dark rain cloud. "This is an army facility for turning wildlife into weapons." Lightning explained as they reached a new room.

"Civilians aren't allowed in here, are they?" Hope asked.

"Looks too dangerous for just anyone." Rosalia stated, her voice not containing its usual optimism but instead being a cold mask.

* * *

_Hope had hurt me and, like every time he did and I couldn't leave, I hid my insecurities and feelings with coldness. He never really figured out everything I hid when I used that mask, but he always knew if I used that voice, I was angry with him. He could just read me well enough but not completely, like he thought he could. But now, now he actually can. He just needed to learn more about me and to overcome his own obstacles in order to do so._

* * *

"We'll have to be sure and tell them if we see any." Lightning stated.

"Then let's go." Rosalia stated as they jumped down and made their way through. They fought several of the beasts until they entered a pen and the electronic cages suddenly turned on. Hope cried out as he barely managed to escape it.

"Caged in like the animals." Lightning said when, suddenly, a Feral Behemoth jumped down and roared at them.

"Watch out!" Rosalia cried as she jumped out of the way and took out Demon Wing. She lit it on fire and threw it in order to distract the beast. As it roared at the sword after it struck it, she took out Angel Wing, spun in a circle and cast Blizzard as she struck it in the ground, causing the ice to travel through the ground before striking the Feral Behemoth. She summoned Demon Wing back to her hand and returned both of them to their sheaths, preparing for the battle. Lightning did a Powerchain as Hope cast Blizzard and Aero. The beast attacked, striking Rosalia and knocking her back slightly.

"Rosa!" Hope cried as he cast Cure before turning to the beast and casting Fire, Blizzard and Thunder with a vengeance as Lightning cast Ruin.

"I'm fine, Hope." Rosalia insisted as she cast Aero herself. A single small tornado appeared and traveled towards the beast. Once it reached it, the tornado became a giant gush of air, surprising the Feral Behemoth. Lightning struck the beast as Hope cast Libra and Rosalia cast Fire, the flames coming easily. As Hope cast Protect, Rosalia cast Cure on both of them repeatedly. Lightning took over healing next as Hope cast Water and Rosalia cast Aero. Once the two were healed, Lightning began to attack the Feral Behemoth while Hope kept casting Water and Rosalia took over Cure, occasionally casting Fire. "Look out!" Rosalia cried worriedly as the beast moved to slash at Hope. Quickly, the girl cast Protect and a barrier appeared around Hope, protecting him. Sighing in relief, the Mage cast Thunder, pushing the beast back, as Lightning cast Aquastrike and Sparkstrike. As the two kept attacking, Rosalia healed both of them, knowing they needed it. However, the Feral Behemoth managed to strike Hope only to be struck by Lightning and Rosalia. Rosalia took a deep breath as she took out Angel Wing and fueled it with Blizzard before she threw it as Lightning cast Water and Aquastrike and Hope took a potion. She threw the sword and as soon as it struck the beast, the spell activated, causing ice to spread on it. Roaring, the Feral Behemoth broke the ice and struck Rosalia as she summoned Angel Wing into her hand. Grunting, the Mage stuck to Cure for the rest of the battle while Hope and Lightning cast Water and Aquastrike. With one more strike from Lightning, the beast was gone. The Mage breathed a sigh of relief as she stood up. That was one more beast down.

"We've tripped the security alarm." Lightning explained, "The Observation Battalion will be coming."

"Oh great, guests." Rosalia stated sarcastically as she crossed her arms.

"Let them come." Hope snapped. Rosalia bit her lip and shook her head.

* * *

_I was getting more worried about Hope the further we went. He wasn't acting like…well, _Hope_. He was losing himself in his grief, I know that. He couldn't handle his mother dying like that and he put all of the blame on Snow. Sometimes, I feel like, back then, he forgot I lost my father that same day. It was as if he had almost forgotten me and, to a certain degree, I was correct. But to another degree, I was completely wrong._

* * *

The trio kept walking, with several fights along the way, until they reached a platform and both Hope and Rosalia were huffing.

"Take five." Lightning instructed.

"Oh, thank Etro!" Rosalia praised as she fell to her knees. Using so much magic at once, with spending 14 years without it, really was taking a toll on her. The trio were silent for a long time, the only noise being Hope playing with the survival knife.

"What's eating you?" Rosalia asked, concerned. Hope didn't answer.

"Okay, I can tell you're hung up on something." Lightning said, "Is it the l'Cie thing?" Rosalia visibly flinched, remembering how Hope had, unintentionally, insulted her mother back at Lake Bresha. Her hand unconsciously went to her prominent black brand at the same instant. Hope remained silent still causing Lightning to turn around.

"It's Snow, isn't it?" The girls said in unison, though unintentional. Hope looked up at that before he looked away angrily. Lightning sighed silently before she stepped closer.

"What happened with him?" She asked.

"You wouldn't understand." Hope stated.

"How would you know if she wouldn't understand, Hope?!" Rosalia cried, finally fed up with Hope's behavior. "For Etro's sake, _she _was _there_! And she _knows _Snow! Besides, you aren't the only person who lost someone that day!" Lightning, at this point, had walked forward and knelt in front of the two.

"The three of us are partners, Hope." She said softly. Hope looked up at the two girls before he looked down again.

"My mother and Rosa's father were killed." He said, "Because of him. It's his fault." He opened the knife and looked at it. "And he needs to pay for it. I'm not ready yet, but I will be. Soon." He then closed the knife.

"No! I refuse to let you do that! Your mother would _not _want you to get revenge! That is the exact _opposite _of what she would want!" Rosalia cried angrily as she stood up. Hope didn't look at her as he stood up. He ignored her as he continued,

"That's why I followed you." Lightning stood up and Hope began to walk away before he stopped and continued, "Snow dragged us all into this. You, Rosa and me, your sister, Serah…He's gotta pay." With that, he began to walk away. Lightning sighed, feeling useless. Rosalia, however, ran after Hope and roughly grabbed his arm. "Let me go, Rosa." He stated. Rosalia shook her head but instead of yelling at the boy…she started to sing.

"_Inside a world of broken words_

_You cannot hide_

_You try to find the reason why_

_As days collide_

_The seconds keep on passing_

_Without a sound, you turn around_

_And as you walk away, I call to you_

_Don't you let go_

_Take a look around, you are not alone_

_If you'd only stop and close your eyes_

_Find the answers_

_When you feel like the world is falling in_

_And you can't seem to find the way back in_

_Don't cry_

_Just hear these words and remember again"_

Hope blinked at the girl before she started walking away again.

"What was that?" Lightning asked Hope as she caught up with him.

"That…was a song her dad told us to sing whenever we felt sad. He told us to sing it to each other too, so we remember that we're never alone. He said it was a tradition in his family since so many of them were in the Guardian Corps and no one knew what would happen if there was an emergency." Hope explained, "That was the beginning she sang…it's been a long time since either of us had sung it."

"…She's good." Lightning commented as she continued walking.

* * *

_I sang that song because I knew it fit Hope in that moment. He needed it just as much as I did when he sang it to me when I had nightmares. It was one of the things I had left of my dad and I treasured it more than anything. I never forgot that song and I never will._

* * *

The trio walked on with Lightning leading the way and Rosalia being silent the entire time. She refused to even look at Hope. After several fights, they reached a platform where the area was blocked. Lightning stared at it before she took out her gunblade and destroyed it.

"Could I use one of those?" Hope asked.

"Bit too heavy for you." Lightning disagreed.

"Okay." Hope sighed as he took out the survival knife and opened it.

"Serah. I should have listened to you." Lightning whispered suddenly.

"She doesn't blame you, you know." Rosalia whispered.

"What?" Lightning asked, shocked.

"Serah. She doesn't blame you. She's kind of…in my dreams." Rosalia explained, "Apparently, since I'm the Mage, when I touched her crystal, our souls became connected and now she shows up in my dreams. She doesn't blame you at all, Light. She misses you." Lightning said nothing and they three continued walking in silence, constantly fighting beasts. However, they were met with a surprise as they reached a platform. They found several PSICOM soldiers, all injured. Rosalia gasped in shock, her hands covering her mouth as tears appeared in her eyes.

"What happened here?" Hope asked.

"Bad luck." Lightning stated, "They came looking for us and found something worse. "

"We can't just leave them like this!" The two teenagers cried.

"Don't touch anything!" Lightning cried, grabbing both teens before they could help. "Control your emotions." The soldier said, "If you want to survive, you forget about sympathy. How can I explain? Think of it like a strategy. Focus on your ultimate goal and shut out everything else. Still your mind. Move on instinct. Let doubt take over, and despair will cripple you."

"Strategy. Good. I'll take anything to help me get through this." Hope said as he stood up. "I'll call it 'Operation Nora'."

"NORA?" Lightning asked, not understanding.

"My mother's name." Hope explained.

"Your revenge?" Lightning asked.

"Yes." Hope nodded, "Don't tell me. I know getting revenge on him won't…bring either of them back. I know that! But 'sorry' won't cut it." Hope started to walk away when Lightning spoke up.

"Snow didn't kill your mother. The Sanctum did." She said.

"Whose side are you on?" Hope cried as he turned back around. He already knew his best friend was against him and now the woman who was starting to become a close friend to him was too?

"The side of the truth." Lightning stated. Again, Hope took out the knife and opened it.

"Fine." He said, "I'll fight the Sanctum with you. I'll learn to survive." He walked away then. Just as he did, Rosalia, who had been quiet the whole time, stood up and walked over to the fallen soldiers.

"What're you doing?" Lightning cried, remembering she told the Mage to not help them.

"I don't care if I'm a l'Cie, I don't care if they're PSICOM and I don't care if you think I shouldn't help them. First and foremost, I am Rosalia, daughter of Jacob Aduro and Elena Propheta. They taught me to always care for people and to help those in need. Second, I am the Mage. It is my duty, and my fate, to help the people of the world and PSICOM soldiers _are _human, Light. As long as they don't fight me, I will help them." Rosalia said as she cast a light Cure spell on the soldiers and set some potions near them for extra measure. "They won't wake up yet so we're safe. But don't think you can tell me what to do. I may not be able to control my fate but I can _definitely _control my decisions and behavior. Leaving someone to just _die_, that may be you but it sure as Pulse isn't me!" Lightning stared at the girl in awe. She was a lot stronger than she looked. With that said, Rosalia walked after Hope. Even if she was still mad at him, she was kind of made at Lightning now too. Neither of them understood her…they just needed to let her be her.

* * *

The trio walked, and fought, their way until they reached an elevator. They went up it and suddenly, Rosalia sensed something.

"Look out!" She cried and a second later an Astro Protoflorian jumped down.

"This is it. Operation Nora!" Hope said before he ran forward, boomerang in hand and crying a war cry.

"Ugh, just to be clear, I'm here to fight this thing and to learn to be brave. I am _not _helping you get revenge." Rosalia snapped at Hope as she and Lightning caught up with him. Lightning attacked as Hope cast Fire, Blizzard and Thunder while Rosalia cast Aero, Ruin and Water. Suddenly, Rosalia got an idea. "Move out of the way!" She cried before she put her hand over her wrist. "Valefor…" She whispered. A dark silver crystal in the shape of a crescent moon appeared in her hands and she held it in both hands before she threw it in the air. Soon, a series of symbols appeared and Valefor came flying out. "Let's do this!" Rosalia cried as Lightning and Hope got out of the way. Valefor flew in a circle around the beast as Rosalia cast Haste on herself before she took out her swords and struck quicker than she ever had before. Valefor activated Sonic Wing and Rosalia quickly cast Blizzard to keep the Astro Protoflorian in place. Energy Ray was cast next and Rosalia threw in Thunder as the beam exploded. "Mind giving me a lift?" Rosalia asked as Valefor flew in the air and changed so she could get on. Smiling, Rosalia jumped on and cried, "This is it! Let's go!" With her added power, Valefor activated Energy Blast. Several beams shot out and all hit the Astro Protoflorian easily. The beast cried out as it was weakened even more. "Now!" Rosalia cried as Valefor cast a powerful Holy spell that weakened the beast a lot. "See you later!" Rosalia waved as she jumped down and Valefor vanished. Lightning and Hope rejoined the girl as the beast became an Aster Protoflorian. "Oh great." Rosalia sighed as she began to focus on healing the two. Lightning struck as Hope cast Blizzard. Rosalia kept them both healed and protected, not an easy task as the beast could use fire. Lightning was struck down to the ground but she got back up as Rosalia cast Cure again. Hope cast Shell on top of Blizzard to keep the beast distracted as Lightning healed. He then cast Thunder and with a few more strikes from Lightning, the beast was done. Rosalia breathed a sigh of relief as it was and she cast Cure on herself while also drinking a potion quickly.

"Operation Nora, Stage One complete." Hope stated with a smile.

"I am _so _not a part of that." Rosalia snapped, her voice as cold as ice as they walked through the now open gate to leave the Gapra Whitewood.

"You both did well." Lightning stated as they did. The trio walked all the way to the water where Rosalia was soon grinning.

"That's it." Hope stated as they stopped.

"Palumpolum." Rosalia smiled as she saw her beloved hometown.

"That's where you two live, right?" Lightning asked. The two were silent as they stepped closer, just staring at their home. "We'll stop in when we get there." Lightning said.

"No." Hope shook his head.

"What?" Rosalia cried, her peace slowly shattering.

"We're l'Cie now, and no one's there but my dad." Hope explained.

"And he's worried about you. About _us_!" Rosalia cried.

"Hope…You need to let him know what happened." Lightning said

"He deserves to know." Rosalia added softly as she took one of Hope's fists in her hands. He instantly relaxed that hand and entwined their fingers, his thumb brushing over the back of Rosalia's hand. Even though he was wearing gloves, his touch still never failed to send a shiver down Rosalia's spine and she found she actually liked it.

* * *

_To this very day, I'm not sure if Hope heard what Light and I said. He was so distant, so closed off, that at the time, I wasn't sure if I could reach him before he fell to the darkness. Luckily, our hero managed to get through to him in time for me._

* * *

**Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's a little shorter but I decided instead of writing every single battle, I'm just doing the important ones. So, thanks to Guest (You are so sweet and you'll just have to wait and see her fate. Also, I will go into 13-2 and LR but in this story so it's gonna be long.) Guest, Xyzantylzethyrioses (I hope I spelled that right and your reviews were really nice!), ChaosDancer12 (Thanks again for the song suggestions!), thehomiewhowrites (Hey you found me again!), akuma-neko-kage, LadyAmazon, gOthiCkUrOcH69, Ijustdon'tcare132, lunatarimoon and Evanescentfacade for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 503 readers! Okay so the song used was suggested by ChaosDancer12 and is called Magenta. I do not own or nor claim to own it. It belongs to Nano as far as I know. Okay, so you guys remember how I asked you last chapter to pray for Monty Oum? Well, he passed away last month literally I learned this a day after I posted that chapter. So, this chapter is dedicated to Monty, who died at 33 and inspired so much of my writing (If you know RWBY then you will know some moves in this story I use since they come from there). Also, I need OCs to be Mages because Rosa's Semblance is that she can channel Mages who died. Here are the ones I have so far.**

**Propheta: The original Mage. Has light green hair and gold colored eyes. Semblance: Etro's Light. Song: Courage from Sword Art Online.**

**Zyzantlyia: Mother of Vanille and Tikal (See below). Has black hair and green eyes. Semblance: Can break bones and hurt people inside their bodies, titled Duality. Song: Shirushi from Sword Art Online.**

**Tikal: Sister of Vanille and daughter of Zyzantlyia. Has red hair and blue green eyes. Semblance: Can see the future in her dreams, not a Seeress like Serah and Yeul and did not die from it. Song: Angel with a Shotgun.**

**Kai: Tikal's daughter and first Mage born on Cocoon, as Tikal moved the line there because of a vision. Has brown hair with orange and red streaks and blue eyes with grayish specks. Semblance: Can create copies of herself so she can escape danger, when they are hit they turn into whatever power she wants, titled Shadow. Song: Senbon Zakura.**

**Riaxais: Not a very important character, simply mentioned, won't appear. Elena's great great grandmother and Ayxzs' mother.**

**Ayxzs: Riaxais' daughter and Elena's great grandmother. Has shoulder length slightly darker than electric blue hair and bluish purple eyes. Semblance: Can control water in a much more deadly way than the usual spell, titled Abyss. Song: Bring Me Back to Life by Evanescence.**

**Elena: Rosalia's mother. Has long blonde hair and gray eyes with blue specks. Semblance: Can create circles in the air with the Mage symbol in them through which she can stand in the air and direct her powers through them, titled Glyphs. Song: Kawaru Mirai from Heaven's Memo Pad.**

**Rosalia: Last Mage. Has long blonde hair and gray eyes with blue specks. Semblance: Can channel Mages who have died and use their Semblances, titled the Past. Song: Crossing Field from Sword Art Online.**

**So, I need to fill in those gaps there. So I need female OCs with names, descriptions, personality descriptions, Semblance and a special song that describes them that Rosalia can sing when she channels them. When each character appears that does not belong to me, I will credit the creator. I didn't here simply because I am giving a timeline of where I need Mages. Also, Rosa's opinions in this chapter are my own because I did not like Hope in the Whitewood. Did anyone? Please review to let me know what you think! Later!**


	6. Chapter 6:Home and Hope

_Palumpolum…it was my home before everything with the fal'Cie started. It's where my parents met, fell in love, married and had me. But…it's also where my mother had to leave me and the last place I saw before I became a l'Cie. I knew everyone would recognize me if I went into the city, my father was a pretty famous member of the Guardian Corps. When I was little, he was my hero. He still is today, but that list has now grown to include every Mage that came before me, Light, Serah and a man I wouldn't meet for the first time until I was 17. However, that day all those years ago, when Light, Hope and I snuck into Palumpolum, I kept my robe with the hood up. I wasn't ashamed that I was the Mage and I wore it proudly for the first time in public._

* * *

Rosalia, Hope and Lightning hid as they spotted PSICOM and Guardian Corps soldiers. Lightning was standing as Hope and Rosalia knelt down, Hope in front of Rosalia so he could protect her if needed.

"We can make it." Hope stated after a second. "Get to the station, and board the train for Eden."

"You think it's still running?" Lightning asked.

"Well, if it isn't, we'll make it run." Hope said confidently. Rosalia sighed and rolled her eyes, her hand coming up to play with the white ribbon tied around her left wrist.

"Then punch straight into the heart of the Sanctum?" Lightning asked. "Now you're thinking like a Pulse l'Cie."

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Rosalia said softly. "He's basically suggesting we _hotwire _the train and go take out Eden, thereby _ruining _who knows how many people's lives and you're _encouraging _it?! Do you two even have a _sense _of morality?!"

"Hey! Rosa, this is Operation Nora. It's necessary." Hope explained and Rosalia was infuriated that, excluding his first indignant protest to her words, he spoke in a monotone. Rosalia once again rolled her eyes. "It's not just Snow I'm after. The Sanctum's got to pay too."

"I'm beginning to like you less and less, Hope." Rosalia stated coldly as she turned away from her best friend. Lightning looked down at the two teens and sighed. Hope grabbed the soldier's wrist and said,

"Hey, you're the one who said we had to fight. Every minute we waste, we're tempting fate." Rosalia looked down at that one as her own fate rushed back to her. Lightning gasped and brought her hand up so it rested near the lightning bolt pendant she wore, near her heart.

* * *

_The fate of the Mage…it's the source of my nightmares and of every single one of my insecurities. Hope didn't know my fate then, none of them did. Only Dad knew and he tried my entire life to convince me everything would be alright because I didn't have Mom to do it for me, unlike all the Mages before me. But after he died, I was alone in knowing my fate and…it scared me more than ever before._

* * *

"There's some underground tunnels no far from here. Rosa and I used to play in them when we were kids." Hope pointed.

"We're still kids, no matter how you look at it." Rosalia whispered so quietly, neither of her companions heard her. Her right hand had come up and begun to play with the beads wrapped around her forehead as Hope had spoken.

"No one uses the entrance anymore, so even the army doesn't know about it." Hope explained, having not heard the Mage behind him. "But we know where it is. We can sneak in under their noses."

"Sounds good." Lightning nodded as she looked back at the teenagers.

"Great! Here we go." Hope smiled before he began leading the two girls to the tunnels, Rosalia grudgingly following, though she was much quieter and more reserved than she had been the entire journey thus far.

"Huh. No more rivalries now. PSICOM's brought in the Guardian Corps." Lightning commented as the three hid, watching the troops.

"Okay, there's an old drainage pipe. We can use it to avoid being seen." Hope stated, "The tunnel entrance is a little further up."

"Once we're there, were safe for at least a little while." Rosalia stated, her voice incredibly soft. Lightning looked at the girl and saw the guarded look in her eyes. It was the same look Serah said Lightning herself had at times, especially when she thought of their parents. The soldier resolved to talk to the girl once they were safe and figure out what was going on with her.

* * *

The three easily made their way past the guards, through the pipes and into the Nutriculture Complex. Once they entered, Hope noticed Lightning was constantly looking around for more guards to come out.

"Don't worry, it will be fine. Only kids like Rosa and me know about that entrance." He assured as they walked.

"They'll find it. They'll call in a team, and canvas the whole tunnel system." Lightning argued as they looked back.

"Then we'd better hurry." Hope stated before they started walking again.

"So, where's this thing come out, anyway?" Lightning asked, sounding almost curious. Normally, Rosalia would have teased her, but the Mage remained silent, simply looking straight ahead of herself as she walked. She almost looked…lifeless in that moment.

"Well, it…it-I don't really know for sure." Hope admitted, almost sheepishly. "Rosa?" The Mage simply shook her head.

"We'll find out today." Lightning assured as she started leading the way. As they walked, the soldier looked at the Mage before she finally dared to ask, "Rosa? What's wrong?" The Mage looked up in surprise before she shrugged and returned to walking silently. "Come on, we're partners right? You can tell me." Lightning insisted.

"Nothing's wrong." Rosalia whispered, playing with her ribbon again. It was slowly becoming a nervous habit of hers.

"I know you're lying, you aren't acting like you at all." Lightning stated.

"You really think you know me that well?" The Mage asked quietly.

"…I know you well enough to realize you aren't acting normal." Lightning explained. "Tell me what's wrong." Rosalia sighed.

"It's just…what Hope said about our fates. I mean, most normal people's fates are to live normal lives. L'Cies' fates are to fulfill their Focus or become a Cie'th. Mine, however, is to be the Mage, the protector of the world and…and…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

* * *

_I knew my entire life what being the Mage entailed. My mother was a prime example and she had told me when I was just a baby. The fate of the Mage is awful in my opinion and…I couldn't face it back then because it scared me so much. But as the years have passed, I now know more than I did then and I feel better._

* * *

Lightning laid a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You don't have to tell me." She assured, "But you should know this: fate isn't something to be afraid of because if it was given to you like it was, then you should be able to handle it. Otherwise, Etro wouldn't have trusted you with whatever fate she gave to the first Mage. You're stronger than you think, Rosa. Remember that." Rosalia blinked several times before she nodded and looked away, remembering the last time she was in Palumpolum.

* * *

_Rosalia knelt beside her window, avoiding looking at her right wrist at any cost. She knew what she would see there and she refused to accept it no matter what._

"_Why me?" She whispered, a small sob slipping through her clenched teeth. "All I want is to be normal. Why?"_

Because you aren't normal. _A voice in her head said. Rosalia shook her head to get rid of the voice before she softly began to sing,_

"It came from somewhere beyond the farthest reaches of the world that we know, like a creature of shadow  
It came to mock us, for we are so naive that we can't comprehend it,  
And truly, we are fragile and small  
I cannot hold onto the truth  
As it slips right through my fingers like a picture that is made of smoke  
I don't know how I will last, because my body is so weak that I may crumble away

Uninstall, uninstall  
I was told that I am just a single speck of dust  
And cannot be more  
But I do not understand or grasp the true meaning  
Uninstall, uninstall  
I no longer have a choice but to pretend  
I am brave  
For a soldier has to be brave  
Uninstall

Our unseen thoughts have been growing ever sharper, unbeknownst to us, deep within the subconscious  
But an inkling of what has been occurring is revealed to me as  
I hear the restless monsters when I sleep  
Now my heart is empty and numb  
Save for an unrelenting impulse to destroy all things that I can see  
It is born from all of the pain, for I have lost the will to choose the day I'll crumble away

Uninstall, uninstall  
If there's no one who can take this burden in my place  
Then there's no choice  
But to take my simple life and  
Uninstall, uninstall  
And it makes me want to end it all with my own hands  
Is it wrong?  
Surely it's alright to want to uninstall.

Uninstall, uninstall  
I was told that I am just a single speck of dust  
And cannot be more  
But I do not understand or grasp the true meaning  
Uninstall, uninstall  
I no longer have a choice but to pretend  
I am brave  
For a soldier has to be brave  
Uninstall"

"_Rosa, why are you singing a song like that?" With a cry, the blonde girl turned only to see her father standing there._

"_Dad, what are you doing here?" Rosalia asked as she tried to catch her breath._

"_I came to get your stuff. We're going with the Estheims to Bodhum today, remember?" Jacob reminded. He then noticed his daughter was gripping her right wrist tightly. "What's wrong with your wrist?"_

"_Nothing!" Rosalia cried quickly, putting as much distance as she could between herself and her father. "I'll bring my stuff down by myself. You can just wait for me downstairs." Jacob narrowed his eyes and walked up to his daughter as fast as he could. "Dad, don't!" Rosalia cried as her father reached her. She was too late, however, as he grabbed her wrist tightly and forced her to show it to him. He gasped as he saw the faded, but very familiar, brand of a l'Cie on his daughter's wrist._

"_Rosalia…" He whispered as he reached out to touch it._

"_Yes, I know. I'm a l'Cie." Rosalia said, hanging her head in shame. "Now you have to kill me before I destroy Cocoon or PSICOM gets me like they did Mom."_

"_Rosalia Propheta Aduro, don't you _dare _talk like that." Jacob scolded. Rosalia stared at her father with wide eyes. He rarely used her true last name alongside her father's and her full name. He was _deadly _serious. "This brand doesn't mean you're dead."_

"_But-"_

"_No buts. You've spent your entire life saying your fate was set in stone but this proves it isn't. Hope isn't lost on you, Rosa, so you can't lose it either. You are stronger than you think, it's the reason you are the Mage, no matter how much you deny it. So stop trying to be someone you're not and start becoming who you are _meant to be_." Jacob said, "You're a smart girl, Rosa. I know you'll do what's right for both the world and yourself." Rosalia tried to stop the tears pooling in her eyes but gave up as she launched herself into her father's arms._

* * *

Rosalia shook her head as the memory faded and smiled at Lightning to assure the soldier she was okay before she continued walking.

* * *

After several fights, and moving platforms, the trio reached the food-production fal'Cie.

"Wow." Hope said in amazement as he and Rosalia stared up at it.

"That's the city's food-production fal'Cie." Rosalia explained to Lightning as the soldier joined the teens.

"Name's Carbuncle." Hope continued, the two picking up their habit of finishing the other's sentence or continuing it. "That's one of our enemies, being Sanctum and all."

"So…kill him and cut off the food supply." Lightning summed up.

"That'll make us popular." Both girls said in unison. Rosalia stared at Lightning as she stared back. Even though it was accidental, the simple phrase seemed to put the two girls on a better understanding of each other, a stronger connection.

"I think people have enough reason to hate us, don't you two?" Hope asked, looking at the girls.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Hungry people make for angry people." Lightning agreed.

"You guys do realize if I hide my brand and play the whole 'returning Mage' act, I could probably keep us out of trouble, right?" Rosalia suggested with a smile.

"Not gonna test it." Lightning shot down instantly.

"Aww, why not?" Rosalia whined childishly, though her smile said she was kidding.

"It would put you in danger and we can't risk you or any of us." Lightning answered.

"Aww, you do care." Rosalia teased. Lightning shook her head at the girl's childish antics. Hope simply chuckled as he waved at the Mage.

"Come on, Rosa." He stated. Rosalia sighed as she hung her head back dramatically.

"You're no fun." She said before she followed the two.

* * *

After several fights, and even more lifts, Hope commented,

"Look at us: Pulse l'Cie, using a Sanctum fal'Cie to tell where we're going. Sort of strange."

"It was your idea. Don't forget that, Mr. L'Cie/Sanctum/Snow hater." Rosalia commented, shooting the boy a pointed look.

"It's not really strange." Lightning said, "We've relied on them our whole lives." As the soldier spoke, the trio stopped right in front of Carbuncle again and looked at the fal'Cie. "The food we eat, the light and water, it's all from the fal'Cie. You know, I think Cocoon was really built for them. The rest of us, we're just leeches. Parasites."

"Thanks for the image." Rosalia muttered, shaking her head roughly.

"You think?" Hope said, "They protect us, nurture us. They take care of, well, normal people. They treat us like we're special, almost like…" He trailed off as he tried to think of how to finish the sentence. Rosalia did the same thing and it hit them at the same time, as evidenced by Hope clapping his hands and Rosalia looking up sharply from where her gaze previously was on the floor.

"Like we're pets!" The teens finished at the same instant. Lightning's eyes widened and she stared straight ahead, as if in awe.

"Like pets." She repeated, sounding like she was either in a trance or suddenly realizing something.

_Having an epiphany. _Rosalia realized. Lightning walked closer to the fal'Cie and finally spoke.

"To them, we are just pets." She said, "…That's it. Now it makes sense. I've been so blind."

"Light?" Rosalia asked, "What is it?"

"I was born into a fal'Cie world, raised on a fal'Cie leash." The soldier explained, her eyes not once leaving the fal'Cie in front of her. "It was the only life I knew how to live. When it was taken from me, I was completely lost. Without a master to follow, my life had no purpose. Hope, listen to me." Finally, Lightning turned to face the two teenagers. "This l'Cie curse, it took everything from me. My future. My dreams. I didn't want to think. So I fought instead. As long as I was fighting, nothing else was real. I was running away. And you, Hope…you got swept along with me. Only Rosa was strong enough to not get swept away and yet she still came and proved herself." As Rosalia heard Lightning mention her, she couldn't help the slight wave of pride she felt as she heard the own pride in Lightning's voice. The soldier was _proud _Rosalia had stayed true to herself instead of getting caught up in the fighting.

"But Lightning, I don't understand." Hope said, confused. Rosalia looked at Lightning and knew exactly what she was going to say. In unison, the two girls spoke.

"Operation Nora is over." They stated.

"What?" Hope asked, looking from his best friend to the woman who had helped him become stronger.

"I…" Lightning trailed off, not knowing what to say. Rosalia tried to put her hand on Hope's arm but he shook her off, crying,

"No! You told me to fight!"

"I made a mistake!" Lightning cried, looking away.

"But-you can't do this." Hope said as he walked away from the girls. "You can't just build something up like that, then abandon me." Lightning walked so she was standing directly in front of Hope with Rosalia following her. Each girl put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"I won't abandon you." Lightning stated firmly.

"Neither will I. This trip alone should've proved that to you." Rosalia added.

"We won't." Both girls repeated firmly.

"We should keep going." Lightning said after a minute.

"I can't just throw in the towel." Hope protested when suddenly, Rosalia turned on him.

"Is this what you think your mother would want? Is it?!" She yelled. Hope flinched at the Mage's anger and Lightning didn't move to intervene. She knew the girl needed this as much as Hope needed to hear it. "The Nora Estheim I knew would not, under _any _circumstances, be happy with her son getting revenge! She didn't believe in revenge, she just wants you and me to be safe! She loves you Hope and when you love someone, you don't want them to avenge your death! I don't care if you're angry and mourning, you aren't the only person who lost someone back there! I have been holding in my own grief this entire time because I knew _you _needed me! I knew I had to be strong for both of us since you couldn't be strong for either of us! I haven't cried since the moment my father fell to his death and I have refused to speak of him simply for that reason! And there isn't just me, either! What about all those children that survived, Hope, while their siblings or neighbors or friends or even parents like Nora and Dad _died _in order for those children to go _home_! And you think killing the man that tried to _save _our parents and _ruin _everyone on Cocoon's lives is the way to end the pain you're feeling?! Well, here's some news for you, Hope:" At that point, the girl was standing close to the boy and her voice finally softened. "The pain you're feeling won't just go away. It would only get worse if you did what you plan to do with Operation Nora. And I would bet any amount of gil that your mom wouldn't approve either. So try and see reason before I find the urge to slap you." With that said, the Mage hugged Hope tightly, her arms wound tightly around his neck. Hope reacted instantly, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer. Rosalia knew Hope was too stubborn to fully understand what she said but she knew he had listened and that made a difference. She pulled away, said, "I'm still not happy with you." and walked away just like that.

* * *

As the trio kept walking, Hope finally asked,

"So what do we do now?" Lightning and Rosalia stopped and turned around to see Hope gripping his brand as he continued, "We're l'Cie! Ticking time bombs. Enemies of Cocoon. If we can't follow the plan, do we just lay down and die?"

"I didn't mean we should give up." Lightning protested.

"Neither did I. I just wanted to yell at you to try and get you to see reason." Rosalia stated, though she muttered the last sentence.

"Then what battles do we fight? And against who? Tell me that!" Hope yelled.

"I don't know yet." Lightning answered as she looked away.

"You don't know yet?" Hope cried.

"That's right. I don't know yet. But I do know we can't lose hope." Lightning stated. Rosalia gasped as her father's words shot to the forefront of her mind.

"_Hope isn't lost on you, Rosa, so you can't lose it either."_

"Hope?" Hope asked as he sat down on the stairs near them. "There is no hope. Not for l'Cie."

"Ugh, now I know what Dad was talking about when he saw my brand." Rosalia sighed, running a hand through the hair resting on her shoulder, careful of the rose petals.

"What did he say?" Lightning asked.

"Hope isn't lost on you, Rosa, so you can't lose it either." Rosalia whispered.

"Rosa's dad was right, Hope. And there's you." Lightning said.

"It's my name, not who I am." Hope stated.

"Now I know that ain't true." Rosalia argued as she sat down beside her best friend. She didn't take his hand like she normally would, however. She was still mad at him for his attitude and wasn't letting him off easily.

"I was just like you." Lightning said. Curious, the two teens turned towards the soldier. "My parents died."

_Something we have in common. _Rosalia thought sadly.

"I had to be strong for Serah, so I thought I needed to forget my past." Lightning explained, "And I became Lightning. I thought that by changing my name, I could change who I was. I was just a kid. Lightning. It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect. It only destroys." Lightning then sat down on Hope's other side, still having the teenagers' rapt attention. "Serah tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen."

"_I never blamed her…I couldn't. She's my sister, I love her." _Rosalia blinked several times as she heard Serah's voice. It was the first time she heard the pinkette's voice when she was awake.

"I threatened her. The only one who believed her was Snow." Lightning continued.

"Don't say it!" Hope roughly cut in, snapping both the soldier and the Mage back to reality. "Don't say his name." The two girls turned to the boy as he looked down in obvious pain. "It brings everything back. I keep playing it in my head, what happened to Mom and Rosa's dad. And then I see his stupid face and…and he's _smiling_. How can he smile when they're dead? When she's dead?"

"Hope…" Rosalia whispered as Lightning tried to put a hand on the boy's shoulder when he suddenly stood up and continued.

"I know!" He said, "There's nothing I can do about it. I hate knowing that. No matter what happens, she's not coming back! When I was fighting, there was no time to think about it." As he spoke, Hope held his wrist and stared at his brand. "It felt good just to give in. But now you two start talking about hope…" Lightning stood up and turned the boy so he faced her. "I'm sorry. I'm messed up." He apologized.

"Not enough to push me away." Rosalia stated as she stood up. "Otherwise, I would've dropped you the day we met." She was teasing, of course, but it failed to get Hope to smile.

"No…it's my fault." Lightning said as Rosalia stood on her left and Hope's right.

"Hope…I'm sorry." Rosalia apologized.

"What're you sorry for?" Hope asked, confused.

"For not helping you grieve and hiding my own." Rosalia explained as she looked down, her eyes closed. "If I hadn't done those two things, you might not have been feeling this way. Instead, I put on a brave face and pretended nothing was wrong when in reality, it felt like everything was. I messed up more than anyone else here did." Tears were starting to fall from the Mage's eyes for the first time since she left Palumpolum for Bodhum. Hope instantly grabbed the girl and pulled her into a hug, unintentionally bringing Lightning in too.

"It isn't your fault, Rosa. You did what you thought was right and put me before yourself. That's just you and you can't change who you are." Hope assured. Rosalia laughed at that and the three stood in their hug for a little while longer until they broke apart. Rosalia wiped her eyes and nodded her thanks before they kept going.

* * *

It was after a lot of walking, and fights, that the three reached the elevator. While Rosalia and Lightning entered, Hope paused outside and to snap him out of it, Lightning stated,

"Talk to your dad."

"What? Why?" Hope asked, looking at the girls.

"Fighting without hope is no way to live." Lightning explained, activating the elevator as she did so. "It's just a way to die."

"He needs to know, Hope." Rosalia added as the girls walked further in and Hope followed with a sigh.

"I want you to find the hope you were named for." Lightning added. The soldier and Mage turned to meet Hope's gaze. "Saying alive, I can help you with. But I can't-I can't give you hope."

"I can help you keep going and I can encourage you, but I can't give you hope either." Rosalia stated sadly.

"If you go to see your father…" Lightning continued.

"You think meeting my dad will make anything better?" Hope interjected, "He's never listened to a word I've said. He's just-he'll never believe all this l'Cie stuff."

"I've been arguing with you about your dad for years now. I can't do anything more. It's all you now, Hope." Rosalia cut in sadly, playing with her ribbon again.

"Snow believed Serah, didn't he?" Hope asked after a minute.

"Yeah." Lightning nodded.

* * *

As the elevator reached the surface, the trio heard a reporter.

_In a recently convened emergency conference…the Sanctum announced the fugitive l'Cie have been located. The military plans to apprehend the l'Cie and carry out a public execution._

"Oh no…" Rosalia whispered as she followed Lightning into the sun.

_These images coming to you live from the scene in Palumpolum._

Sure enough, the images showed Lightning, Hope and Rosalia. Soon enough, basically the entire army was surrounding them.

"Great, more trouble…" Rosalia whispered as she looked around. A man's voice spoke out then.

"These are l'Cie. Show no mercy." He ordered.

_Rosch…_The voice in her head whispered his name.

"They aren't people. They're targets." He added. The three l'Cie stood back to back, Hope obviously scared.

"Start running. I'll keep 'em busy." Lightning ordered.

"But-!" Hope started to protest.

"You two survive." Lightning ordered.

"I'm not leaving you, Light." Rosalia refused. "And not just because I'm the Mage. But because I'm your friend. I refuse to leave and you can't make me." Suddenly, an explosion rang out. "What?" Rosalia gasped, looking up. She watched as Snow took out the soldiers with a woman right behind him.

_Fang…_The voice whispered. Rosalia could only watch with wide eyes as a crystal formed in Snow's hand and he threw it down before he shot it with the gun he held. Suddenly, two women came out and formed a motorcycle. _The Shiva twins…_Snow jumped down and Fang was right behind him, the two riding the Eidolons on the ice they formed.

"It's him!" Hope cried. Lightning grabbed his arm then and pulled him as she ran, shooting at the soldiers. Getting the hint, Rosalia jumped in the air and flew beside the soldier, sending every spell she could think of at the troops.

"Yeah!" Snow cried as he jumped over Lightning and circled to a stop. "Lightning!" He grinned as he stopped and Fang got off while Lightning and Rosalia walked towards them, Hope staying back. Once everything was clear, Lightning made a hmph sound and pushed Hope towards Snow so they both fell to the ground, Snow under Hope.

"Take care of him." Lightning stated.

"Lightning, listen to me!" Snow cried as he stood up.

"Get moving!" The soldier ordered, growing irritated.

"No, you don't understand! Serah's alright! She'll turn back!" Snow cried. Lightning simply remained silent for a moment before she ordered,

"Take care of Hope. Rosa, you're with me." She then ran off.

"Follow your heart and do what you think is right." Rosalia advised Hope before she followed the soldier.

"Wait!" Snow cried as the two girls ran away.

"Rosa!" Hope cried as he stood up and watched as his best friend left him for the first time since they started this journey. Rosalia turned back for one second and used her telepathy for the first time.

"_I'm sorry." _She said. She turned back around and continued running, sensing the other woman, Fang, following them.

"So, you're this generation's Mage, hmm?" Fang asked as they ran.

"How'd you know?" Rosalia asked, shocked.

"I'll explain more later. For now, let's just say I'd know that brand circling your wrist anywhere." Fang answered before they continued running after the pink haired soldier with the Mage having more questions racing through her mind.

* * *

When they were finally safe, after several fights, Fang took out a communicator and contacted Snow.

"You damn well know what's up!" She shouted after Snow said something stupid, the usual of course. "Why haven't you called in? …..Right…what's your status? …I'm great, you're great, everybody's great." Fang then handed the communicator to Lightning, saying, "Reunion time. Figure out a rendezvous point. Don't sweat it. That's line's hyper-encrypted." Lightning took the communicator and lifted it to her ear.

"…I'm not your sister." Lightning said angrily. Rosalia giggled at the familiar banter she knew almost too well at this point, despite not having seen Snow since Lake Bresha. Suddenly, she realized that Snow had Hope while Fang and Lightning had her. The one safe place the both of them knew was…

"Make the rendezvous Hope's house!" Rosalia cried, "Both Hope and I know how to get there and besides, it'll give Hope a chance to talk to his Dad!"

"Good idea, Rosa." Lightning commented. The Mage beamed at the praise. "We'll meet at Hope's place."

"He lives at Felix Heights 35-A." Rosalia supplied as Lightning looked at her for an address.

"Felix Heights 35-A." Lightning relayed. "…..Take care of Hope. …..Snow. Listen to me. It's about Hope and Rosa. His mother and her father were- ….Hope? Hope!" Rosalia's eyes widened as she heard the soldier say the boy's name.

"What's going on?" She asked worriedly.

"Answer me!" Lightning cried, "…Hope!"

"Yelling doesn't fix it." Fang stated, "It's called interference." Lightning groaned slightly as she gave Fang the communicator back. "You can chitchat when we get there. I've got point, you two fall in behind. And see if you can't cool off that head of yours."

"How'd you know I was the Mage?" Rosalia asked, "And what did you mean by 'this generation'?"

"I'll explain when we don't have an army on our tail." Fang said, "In the meantime, you give me directions so we can get to this place."

"Alright…I'm Rosalia, by the way. But you can call me Rosa." Rosalia introduced.

"I think I'll call you Ro. The name's Fang." Fang smiled. Rosalia smiled at her, finding she liked the new nickname.

"That's Lightning by the way." She added, gesturing to the soldier behind her. Fang nodded at her before she said,

"Alright. Now that introductions are out of the way, let's get going."

* * *

After several fights with soldiers and robots, the three girls paused for a moment when both Lightning and Rosalia saw the white l'Cie brand on Fang's arm.

"Who are you?" Lightning asked. Fang knew the question was a lot deeper as she saw the two girls' gaze on her brand. She sighed and walked away a distance.

"Where do I start?" She asked herself.

"The beginning would be a good place." Rosalia commented. Fang chuckled slightly at the girl's words before she turned around.

"I've got a few screws loose, but I'm a l'Cie, same as you two. Difference being…I wasn't born on Cocoon." Fang said. The two Cocoon born l'Cie stared at her in shock as she added, "I'm from Gran Pulse. The 'world below' you all hate so much. My partner and I'd turned to crystal there and gone to sleep. But when we came around, here we were. The reason Cocoon's in such an uproar is the same reason you two're here now. Vanille and I woke up."

"Vanille? Your partner's Vanille?" Rosalia cried.

"Oh, it gets better for you, trust me." Fang said.

"What're you talking about?" Rosalia asked.

"I knew you were the Mage because I was friends with one before I became a l'Cie." Fang explained.

"What?" Rosalia gasped. Fang nodded.

"Yep. She looked a lot like you, or rather, you look a lot like her so there can't be too many generations between you two. Her name was Oerba Propheta Tikal and she was Vanille's older sister and one of my best friends." Fang explained.

"So, you're telling me that Vanille's my…my _ancestor_?!" Rosalia cried, shocked.

"Yep. It's a long story, really." Fang said.

"Try telling it then." Lightning stated.

* * *

_Oerba Propheta Tikal…she was the first Mage I heard of outside of my mother and Propheta. She was special to me though, and she always will be. It isn't just because she was the first one I learned of or because she completely uprooted the Propheta line all by herself by going to Cocoon, but because of the story I learned she had from Fang and, later, Vanille. Tikal will always be one of the Mages of the past that I admire the most. Of course, the fact that I have a living ancestor still freaks me out at times but I've gotten used to it. However, Vanille treats me more as a younger sister than as a descendent, which I don't mind at all. In fact, it makes me feel like we're closer than our familial ties are, which are pretty far apart._

* * *

"When we came out of crystal stasis, we didn't remember out Focus or what we'd done. All we could do was wander Cocoon, looking for what we'd lost. By the time I took care of 'em all, Vanille was long gone. After that, Raines and his Cavalry found me. I never stopped searching for Vanille, but I couldn't find her. Her, or our Focus." Fang finished her and Vanille's story as the three stood on a platform.

"So, you're telling me Serah will come back to life someday, too?" Lightning asked.

"Yep." Fang confirmed. "We didn't do our job right. That's why it made her, and possibly Ro too, a l'Cie. We messed up and Tikal knew all along that we would with her gift of Sight. Sorry." Lightning silently walked up to stand in front of Fang and in a flash, slapped her. Rosalia gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. "That it?" Fang asked.

"You sure better hope so." Lightning stated, "But whether we're square, that's up to Serah."

"_Of course, they're square!" _Serah cried in Rosalia's mind.

"You sound exactly like Snow." Fang commented. Lightning walked away, irritated. "And _he _didn't hit me." Rosalia hid her laugh behind her hand.

"Wait, he already knows this?" Lightning asked.

"Wow. That's a load off." Fang stated as she stood up. "Glad I apologized!"

"You apologized so you'd feel better?" Lightning asked.

"Guess so." Fang agreed, "How about you? Feel any better now that you hit me?"

"It didn't change anything." Lightning scoffed.

"Tell that to my jaw." Fang quipped, causing Rosalia to fully laugh, which earned her a glare from Lightning.

"I'm sorry, I just like her bluntness." Rosalia apologized once she calmed down.

"Aren't you upset? It's possible because of her and your _ancestor _that you're a l'Cie." Lightning said.

"I probably would've become one regardless of Fang and Vanille doing anything." Rosalia shrugged, "My mom was a Pulse l'Cie before me so obviously Pulse wanted something that only Etro's Mage could do, otherwise I wouldn't have been branded the same."

"You know, Tikal saw you in her vision once." Fang said.

"What?" Rosalia asked.

"Tikal had the Semblance of Sight, meaning whenever she fell asleep, she saw the future. Her last vision before she left for Cocoon was of you. She said you would be different from the rest of your line, but I don't know what that means." Fang explained with a shrug.

"Interesting." Rosalia nodded, "Well, we'd better get moving to Hope's house, don't want to keep Mr. Estheim and the boys waiting. Felix Heights is up there."

"Still a ways away from Hope's place." Lightning commented.

"Better pick it up." Fang added.

"We have to go through that gate there." Rosalia pointed.

"Right." Fang nodded.

"Let's go." Lightning added. With that, the three girls took off once again.

* * *

Once they got through the gate, with several stops for fights, Fang said,

"Okay. Let's get Snow on the line." She took out the communicator as she sat down on the stairs but it obviously wasn't working as she shook it. "Damn thing's still jammed. Eh, he can take care of himself."

"We'll just have to believe that." Lightning commented. "…Hey, Fang. The others are safe, right? If any of us got caught, they'd make an announcement."

"Yeah they would. They'd have to let everyone know that the big, bad l'Cie can't hurt 'em no more. These Cocoon people-bunch of cowards and blowhards." Fang said.

"Hey, Lightning and I are Cocoon born." Rosalia protested.

"True…but you've got Gran Pulse blood in your veins, Ro, even if it is a little." Fang said, "You're an excuse. Everyone else, not so much."

"'These Cocoon people' have spent centuries under fal'Cie law, in constant fear of a Pulse invasion. If it weren't for Serah, I'd have been out there too. Hunting l'Cie." Lightning said, "Would have been nothing but targets to me."

"That was the old you. You've grown, Light. I can see it." Rosalia said. Lightning didn't even turn.

"Well, Gran Pulse is just as twisted." Fang said. Rosalia turned to the woman from her spot sitting next to her. "'Cocoon's a floating nest of vipers, ready to strike'. Or so I thought. I hated Tikal when she told Vanille and me she was leaving to live on Cocoon. Only now can I understand why she did." At that, the woman nudged Rosalia slightly.

"So you became a l'Cie to fight the 'vipers'." Lightning summed up. "And destroying the nest is your-I mean _our _Focus now."

"But I can't let that happen, meaning I won't turn to crystal…and become a Cie'th." Rosalia said sadly.

"Aw, don't think like that, Ro." Fang said as she stood up. "Until we woke up here, we'd been in crystal stasis." The two girls who had a connection to Gran Pulse walked over to stand near the soldier. "Which means, we must've completed our first Focus." Fang then groaned. "Why can't I remember that part? My childhood's clear as day. But the one thing I need-it's just gone." Rosalia reached out and took Fang's hand in hers, trying to comfort her. "Blank. Like an empty page. I reach for the memory, and nothing's there. Then there's my brand. It's all messed up." By that point, the three were walking down the stairs. "Vanille and me, we lost our past and our Focus."

"And now, you want to find them?" Lightning guessed. "Be a Pulse l'Cie? An enemy of Cocoon?"

"Pulse and Cocoon can rot for all I care." Fang said.

"It's Vanille, isn't it?" Rosalia asked. Fang nodded.

"If I don't figure out our Focus soon…Vanille's gonna be a Cie'th and I promised Tikal and myself that I'd keep her safe. I'll tear down the sky if it'll save her." Fang stated, completely serious.

* * *

_Fang was one of the most serious and dedicated people I've ever met in my entire life. She loved Vanille as a sister, I could see it. The two of them were best friends growing up, with Tikal finishing their group. They've already lost Tikal to time and I can understand why they wouldn't want to lose each other. What I didn't know, is that I would later, a long, _long _later, I would be on Vanille's side and someone else would be on Fang's._

* * *

The three continued walking, with several fights in the way of course, until Fang said,

"Hey, Lightning, Ro."

"Call me Light." Lightning stated.

"Did you two see Vanille's brand?" Fang asked.

"No." Lightning answered.

"Not really." Rosalia agreed.

"No, huh?" Fang sighed. They walked for a minute before Fang spoke again. "Want to know how long until it's Cie'th city? Just look at your brand. You start getting more arrows, and then finally an eye. Once it opens up all the way, you're done. Let's have a look. Don't be shy." Fang checked out Lightning's then Rosalia's in succession. "Nowhere near. You two got time. Still, you never know. Some people, doesn't take so long. You get a nasty shock, it can speed up the process. Vanille's brand must be pretty far along by now. I've got to save her and get her home."

"To Pulse, you mean?" Lightning asked.

"To _Gran _Pulse." Fang and Rosalia corrected in unison.

"Not bad, Ro. You're sounding more like you're from Gran Pulse by each minute." Fang complimented. Rosalia looked down, shy.

_I wonder what she would say if I told her I suppressed the small accent I had as a child. _She thought.

"I hear that the Sanctum prevents people from leaving Cocoon." Fang continued, "I'd like to see 'em try and stop me."

"So, that's your plan?" Lightning asked. "I wish I had one. Without Serah, without a future, there's nothing to plan for. There's no way out of this mess, and no way to fight it. I'm stuck trading blows with the Sanctum, but that's no plan. Even if we topple the government, where's that leave us? With nothing to fight for? I might as well be dead."

"Serah." Rosalia suddenly said.

"Your sister." Fang continued. Lightning looked at the two. Fang pushed herself off the wall and continued, "You've got plenty to fight for. Think about it. Don't you want to see Serah, after she wakes up?"

"_I want to see you first when I do." _Serah said.

"I know for a fact that she does." Rosalia nodded in agreement.

"That's your future right there." Fang smiled, "All you've gotta do is survive. It's simple!"

"Right." Lightning said sarcastically.

"At least some of your direct family is still alive." Rosalia said, "Both of my parents are dead and I don't have any siblings. But I'm gonna survive too, for Hope, his dad and now, Fang and Vanille too."

"Why both of us?" Fang asked.

"Because I know Vanille is your family. Besides, if things keep going the way they are, then my family's gonna extend to include you two, Hope, Vanille, Sazh, Snow and Serah too. This isn't over yet and when it is, we'll all come out alive." Rosalia grinned. Suddenly, PSICOM flew overhead.

"Snow!" Lightning gasped.

"Hope!" Rosalia cried, her grin falling away.

"They found 'em!" Fang cried. Just then, a huge explosion went off.

"Hope!" Rosalia cried, feeling the fear start to churn in her veins as she ran alongside Fang and Lightning. _If I lose Hope, I lose everything._

* * *

The three ran as fast as they could, while fighting everyone who attacked them of course, and found Snow fighting what Rosalia sensed was called the Ushumgal Subjugator.

"Hope!" Rosalia cried in relief.

"Not bad, kid!" Fang complimented as they stopped beside the boy.

"Where's Snow?" Lightning asked.

"He's okay!" Hope answered.

"I see him! I'll go help him!" Rosalia cried, running towards the fallen rebel leader.

"Sure you're up to this?" Fang asked as she held her spear tightly.

"Thing will never know what hit it." Lightning stated as she took out her gunblade.

"Cover me so I can get as much work done as I possibly can!" Rosalia cried.

"Gotcha!" Hope agreed and the Mage smiled at him, seeing _her _Hope was back, before she turned back to Snow, casting Cure again. When she was too tired to cast the spell anymore, she took out all of her potions and poured each and every one of them down Snow's throat.

"You aren't dying on me today." She insisted. When she ran out of potions and still felt too weak to cast any kind of spell, she turned and smiled when she saw the battle was over and Hope was holding out the survival knife to Lightning, who took the knife from him.

"Um…Operation Nora didn't work out." He said. Lightning grabbed the boy and hugged him tightly.

"You'll be okay. I'll keep you safe." She said, causing Rosalia's smile to widen.

_I knew she looked at us like a mother would her children. _She thought.

"Lightning." Hope said, "I-me too. I mean, at least I'll try. I'll try to watch out for you, too." Lightning pulled back and hit Hope in the head lightly. Rosalia shook her head and turned back around, casting Cure one last time as Fang said,

"Don't forget about this one."

"That one will be alright." Lightning said as she joined the two Gran Pulse girls.

"I did everything I could." Rosalia said, her voice showing her weakness. "Now he just needs some bandages, more healing from someone else and rest."

"He's too stubborn to die, he'll be fine." Lightning told the Mage as she picked Snow up. Hope walked over and helped Rosalia to her feet, steadying her by slinging an arm across her shoulders as she wrapped hers around his waist, leaning so her head rested on his shoulder. With that, the five l'Cie made their way to Hope's house.

* * *

_Home…it's all about the people, not the place. Home is where the heart is and a person's heart always lies within the people they care about most. I think that's what our trip to Palumpolum was meant to teach all of us. I know it at least taught me that._

* * *

After walking with no enemies, the five l'Cie, well four and one unconscious, reached the Estheim residence. Hope looked up, nervous. Rosalia used her free hand and took Hope's hand that rested on her shoulder, squeezing it to comfort him.

"It'll be alright, I promise." She whispered as Hope met her gaze. Nodding and taking a deep breath, Hope Estheim and Rosalia Propheta made their way up to the house they knew growing up as theirs. When they reached the door, Hope used his free hand to ring the doorbell. Less than a minute later, Bartholomew ran out the door and found his son and his best friend standing there.

"Hope! Rosalia!" He cried, as he had never gotten around to calling Rosalia by her nickname. After a long, awkward to say the least, pause, Hope managed to say,

"Mom's gone."

* * *

The three ended up in the living room, where the two teenagers told Bartholomew the whole story. By the end of it, he was sobbing.

"Nora…" He whispered. Hope and Rosalia were sitting side by side, holding hands in order to comfort each other in this rough time. They were facing their respective parent's death head on.

"Dad…" Hope said.

"Mr. Estheim…" Rosalia said at the same instant. Neither knew what to say so Hope finished,

"I, um…I know."

"I'm so sorry." Rosalia whispered as Bartholomew continued to cry. After another long pause, Hope said,

"I'll be in my room." The boy helped the Mage up and the two began to walk away. They paused just before leaving the room and Hope said, "We're gonna rest up. Then we'll leave. If they found out you're sheltering l'Cie, they'll-" Bartholomew stopped Hope by slamming his fist on the table.

"You're my son and the daughter of my friend!" He said, "This is your home." Hope slowly made his way to sit beside his father. Bartholomew smiled and clapped a hand on Hope's back as he did so. "My son." He stated.

"I guess I'll leave you two alone." Rosalia said and she started to leave when Bartholomew cut in,

"No, Rosalia. You are our neighbor and the daughter of our friend. Both of your parents have now passed on and this has always been your second home. If you would like, it can be your first now."

"Really?" Rosalia asked, shocked.

"Really…Rosa." Bartholomew smiled. Rosalia ran towards the father and son as fast as she can, which wasn't very fast considering her weakened state, and hugged both of them as tears she long suppressed fell one by one. The Mage finally gave into the grief she held and the father and son allowed her to cry her heart out. And with the way she was holding onto Hope tightly, Bartholomew knew his late wife had been right when she said the two would someday end up married. Now it was just a question of when.

* * *

_Hope, Mr. Estheim and I had a long talk then. The two of them worked out all of their issues and I helped them connect to each other on more than just Mrs. Estheim's passing. They helped me too. They let me mourn my father, something I hadn't let myself done since he left. I could feel my sadness melting away and I knew I was closer, if only by a little, to conquering my greatest fear. And that meant I was getting closer to uncovering my Semblance. The only problem was, I didn't know what my greatest fear was or how it would manifest itself on this journey. All I knew was that I could conquer it when the time came. All I needed to do was wait._

* * *

Hope and Rosalia went to the room where Snow was being taken care of by Lightning, Hope to deliver a message and Rosalia to talk to the injured man inside. The boy opened the door and said,

"My dad said he'd like to see you guys. He wants to talk." Snow sat up slowly, grunting in pain as he did so while Lightning was silent.

"Snow…can I…talk to you before we go to see Mr. Estheim?" Rosalia asked, almost shyly.

"Sure." Snow agreed with a painful shrug.

"We'll give you two some privacy." Lightning stated before she and Hope left.

"Thanks…and no eavesdropping!" Rosalia smiled. Hope laughed and waved her off as he closed the door. Rosalia slowly made her way to sit on the bed as Snow tried to make room for her, grunting with the pain. "Here, let me help you." She offered, holding her hand out and allowing her magic to flow through him, the Cure spell glowing green. Snow breathed a sigh of relief as the spell took effect.

"Thanks." He nodded. Rosalia nodded and the two fell silent until Snow said, "That man that was with Hope's mom…he was your dad, wasn't he?"

"Yeah…Jacob Aduro was his name. He was the only parent I had since my mom was killed by PSICOM for being a l'Cie and an all-powerful Mage." Rosalia agreed.

"You're the Mage?" Snow asked, shocked. Rosalia giggled at his expression.

"I forgot you weren't there for my 'big reveal'." She laughed. "Yeah, I'm the Mage, have been for the past 14 years. I was just…too scared to use my magic."

"…I'm sorry." Snow apologized.

"It wasn't your fault, Snow." Rosalia said.

"I meant with your dad. I should've done more to help him and Hope's mom, I shouldn't have let them fight. Because of me, you're an orphan…just like me." Snow said, his head hanging in shame.

"Snow, my dad would've fought with you no matter what. And he probably knew that he wouldn't come out alive and he was okay with that as long as I got away safely. He cared more about me than he did his own life and did everything he could to keep me safe. And I'm not alone any more than you are. Yeah, my parents are both gone but I've got Hope and his dad. I've also got Light, Fang, Vanille, who's my ancestor apparently, Sazh, Serah and you. So don't start talking like I'm alone, because I'm not. And you aren't alone either, you've got everyone here and Serah too, cause I can bet you she's waiting to wake up so she can see you and Light first. So, don't worry about it. Everything's gonna be alright, I know it." Rosalia smiled. Snow stared at the girl for a minute before he smiled,

"Thanks Rosa."

"No prob. Now, get dressed, drink this and meet us in the living room." Rosalia said, throwing him a potion as she did so.

"Yes, ma'am." Snow saluted as she left the room.

* * *

Once Snow was ready, the party sat around the living room in silence. Hope, Bartholomew and Rosalia were sitting on the couch, Rosalia and Hope holding hands if only to comfort each other. Fang sat in a chair next to the couch while Snow was in a chair across from the Estheims and the Mage and Lightning was standing. None of them spoke until Snow stood up and got down on his hands and knees, saying,

"The blame is mine. I couldn't save her or him." Bartholomew groaned and brought his hand up to his forehead.

"If it wasn't for Snow, I wouldn't be here right now." Hope stated. Rosalia's grip tightened on Hope's hand and he returned her grip, showing her that he was right there and he was _safe_. Bartholomew looked up at the blonde man and spoke.

"Snow. Did Nora…and Jacob…did they say anything to you?" He asked. Snow suddenly looked up.

"Hope and Rosa. She said to…to get him home. He said to get…get her home too." Snow said. Bartholomew looked at the two teens next to him before he turned back to Snow.

"And that's exactly what you've done." He stated. Snow looked up in shock, the teens on the couch turned to the father and both Fang and Lightning breathed sighs of relief. "Face to face like this, it's hard to believe you're all dangerous fugitives. But the entire world is scared to death of you l'Cie. No, not even just you. People who've helped you, bumped into you…sometimes it's even just people who've walked by one of you. They think they're 'tainted' and want every one of them Purged." As the father spoke, Snow went back on his knees while Lightning sat down in a chair.

"The Sanctum's a puppet of the fal'Cie!" Snow cried. "To them, our lives don't mean anything at all. We'll stop this. Take down the Sanctum, _and _save Cocoon."

"There's the hero we've been missing." Rosalia whispered to Hope, getting him to chuckle softly.

"You've thought that through?" Bartholomew, ever the realist, asked. "If l'Cie take down the Sanctum, fear of Pulse will only get worse. It won't stop at fear. People will take up arms and stand against you. Can you imagine it? The rampant violence?"

"When the government's control is gone, the citizens will revolt." Lightning summed up. Snow looked down, seeing the truth in the two's words.

"So, what then?" Fang asked as she stood up. "We're supposed to just smile and eat a bullet? That means you, too." Bartholomew let out a laugh.

"I know I'm part of this." He said, "I'm on your side. Harborer of l'Cie, and a public enemy." Fang shook her head, knowing he was right.

"Coming here was a bad idea." Hope said. Before Rosalia could protest, as was her role until this point apparently, Bartholomew clapped a hand on Hope's back. When his son met his gaze, the father said,

"This is your home." Hope smiled at his father and as he stood up, Rosalia squeezed his hand and whispered in his ear,

"Told you so." Hope nudged her with his elbow, though he was smiling at her, his eyes sparkling with something she hadn't seen before. It caused her pulse to race and the blood to rush to her cheeks, forcing her to turn away so her hood could hide her pink as her rose petals cheeks.

"We're all here. Let's figure this out together." Bartholomew stated, reminding Rosalia of her father when he was giving her a pep talk. Suddenly, the power went out. The l'Cie and Bartholomew looked around, each trying to figure out what was going on.

"They've found us." Rosalia whispered softly as she stretched out her senses, Etro's symbol glowing on her wrist slightly. Just then, Lightning cried,

"Heads up!" Just then, smoke bombs were thrown into the house, causing every person inside to cover their mouth and start coughing. PSICOM soldiers followed the bombs.

"Hope! Rosa! In the back!" Snow cried before he fell to the ground. Hope ran up to the rebel leader with the Mage and his father behind him.

"You're not ready for this." Hope said.

"You try to get your strength back." Rosalia ordered as she gave Snow another potion, one she had gotten from Hope when she went to the living room. It was her last one.

"We'll stay here." Hope finished, determined. Rosalia nodded in agreement as they heard Fang and Lightning taking out some of the soldiers.

"I need to help." Rosalia said before she ran out, taking out her swords in the process. She used the smoke to her advantage and tripped a soldier that couldn't see her before she knocked him out, kicking one behind her at the same time. "Hope, watch out!" She cried when she saw the soldier near the boy. Lightning, however, was faster and took the soldier out before he could get Hope. "You guys ready?" Rosalia asked as the four stood side by side.

"Ready." Hope answered for them and they all attacked. Fang cast Aero as Hope cast Fire while Lightning cast Aquastrike, Sparkstrike, Fire and Aquastrike again and Rosalia cast Blizzard, all directed at a soldier. Fang then cast Slowga as Rosalia attacked, using Angel Wing to cast Water the same instant she used Demon Wing to cast Fire, effectively taking out one soldier. Lightning was casting Cure as Hope cast Protect. The soldier attacking them, however, managed to strike at Lightning just as she healed Hope. Hope cast Shell as Fang cast Slowga and Rosalia cast Thunder. Hope then cast Fire while Fang cast Provoke and Rosalia worked on keeping the soldiers off her friends, taking more hits than she would have liked as Lightning used Blitz. Rosalia cast Fire as Hope cured her and Lightning used Blitz again. Fang cast Ravage as Hope cast Fire and Rosalia healed the party since so many hits had been taken by the others. The soldier attacking them was finally taken out, but the other soldier ran forward. Quickly, the party cast several spells, taking the soldier out easily. Hope cast Aero and Blizzard while Rosalia cast Fire with Fang casting Provoke and Lightning launching the guy into the air. Lightning quickly started curing the party so they could work on the machines attacking them. Fang cast Slow to buy the soldier of the party time. Hope then cast Water as Lightning cast Aquastrike with Fang casting Blizzard and Rosalia casting Aero. Lightning then casted Sparkstrike followed by Aquastrike again as Hope cast Fire and Rosalia cast Thunder again. Fang cast Fire and the machine was destroyed, leaving only one left. Fang attacked as Lightning cast Aquastrike, Sparkstrike and Fire twice while Hope and Rosalia cast Cure and Protect respectively. The machine attacked Hope, however, as Fang and Lightning led the final charge. So, Rosalia quickly healed the boy just as the machine was destroyed.

"Everyone okay?" Rosalia asked, casting a large Cure, the largest she could.

"As good as we can be." Fang quipped. They quickly knocked out the rest of the soldiers and got down. Lightning and Fang were checking out the situation with Hope and Rosalia a little further behind them. The Mage saw how her best friend's gaze was on his family's picture and she tried to comfort him by putting a hand on his arm, knowing how he felt. The teens then looked up and caught sight of Bartholomew and Snow when a bright light was suddenly shined directly in their eyes. "Who ordered the battalion?" Fang asked.

"They'll take out the whole building next." Lightning said before she waved for Snow and Bartholomew to get closer.

"Dad!" Hope cried at the same instant Rosalia cried,

"Mr. Estheim!" The two teens ran to man, who quickly grabbed both of their shoulders.

"Hope! Rosa!" He cried, "Thank goodness! Are either of you hurt?"

"No. How about you?" The two asked in unison.

"Still in one piece." Bartholomew reassured. Hope looked back at the adults and nodded.

"Here, just in case." Rosalia said, holding her hand out towards the man she had always looked at as a second father. Her hand glowed green as the Cure spell traveled from her to him, healing any possible injuries he had.

"Thank you, Rosa." Bartholomew nodded in thanks. Rosalia smiled slightly before she turned back to watch as Lightning and Fang moved out of the way to let a shirtless Snow hold his coat out so the soldiers shot at it.

"Snow!" Lightning said but the man held a hand up to stop her.

"Don't shoot!" He shouted, "I'll show you what a l'Cie looks like." The onslaught stopped and Snow calmly walked out, his hands up in surrender. "Me! I'm a l'Cie! Surprised? Expected some kinda monster? I'm flesh and blood like you! An ordinary citizen of Cocoon! Don't you get it? This has been our home our whole lives! How could we even think about destroying it? On top of that, one of the l'Cie you're hunting is the Mage you have been looking for all these years! We want to protect this place just as much as you!"

"You must be Snow Villiers." A voice Rosalia remembered said.

"Rosch." She whispered the man's name as she strained to hear him.

"Yaag Rosch, PSICOM Division." Rosch said, "I understand your plight. However, the Pulse threat is not so easily dismissed. The very existence of you l'Cie puts every one of us in danger." As he spoke, both Hope and Rosalia stood up, Hope's hand finding Rosalia's in the process. "Tell me, do you really think your life, or even this supposed Mage's, is worth more than the lives of millions of Cocoon citizens? I do not. And so it falls to me to order your execution. It's that simple. It is my responsibility to see you put down, just as I did the last Mage l'Cie." Rosalia's hand came up to cover her mouth in shock. This man threatening their lives…killed her mother all those years ago. Hope looked at the girl in concern, not sure how she would react. How does one react when they learn their parent's killer is on the other side of the wall? "Your lives are forfeit."

"Aw, cut the crap! You want l'Cie, then kill l'Cie! Why do other people have to die?" Snow cried angrily. "The Purge has got to stop!"

"Do you think we want to Purge out own people?" Rosch cried. "If any trace of Pulse remains, the populace will erupt into chaos. Without sacrifice, without the Purge, Cocoon will die! …Who fired? I gave no order! …No!" Something was going on, something Rosalia couldn't see. Of course, her vision was swimming at the moment and she couldn't focus at all.

"Fall back!" A PSICOM soldier cried.

"We're leaving!" Lightning said, "Hope! Tie up your dad. We threatened you and forced you to help us. Got it?"

"There must be something else-" Bartholomew started to protest.

"Do what she says!" Hope cried, looking his father directly in the eye. Rosalia was sitting on the ground now, in a state of utter shock. "I can't let you get dragged into this." Hope continued, "I want to stay here. But there's no place for a l'Cie." As he spoke, the son tied up his father. "I'm going with the others and I have a feeling Rosa will too." The Mage barely nodded her confirmation as Fang came over and helped her up.

"Come on, Ro. We've gotta go." The woman said, allowing the girl to lean against her as they made their way to the window.

"We'll survive somehow. I promise you that." Hope continued, "And I promise I'll protect Rosa. Dad. I hate to run out on you-"

"You're not running!" Bartholomew cut in. "This is not running away. You've made a choice. You'll survive, protect Rosa and do what needs to be done."

"You mean complete my Focus?" Hope asked.

"Don't you worry about that!" Bartholomew disagreed, "You make the choice." Hope hugged his father then and Rosalia couldn't help the wave of pride she felt, despite her lack of focus. This was the moment when Hope finally forgave his father after hating him for so long. It was a moment she would never forget. When Hope pulled away, the father and son were silent until Hope said,

"Thanks, Dad." The four then made their way outside, where Fang passed Rosalia off to Snow.

"Our turn, Hero." Lightning said as they ran.

"Take care of Ro, would you?" Fang stated as she passed the Mage to the hero.

"What? I can handle a little gas." Snow argued as he grabbed Rosalia's arms.

"Catch your breath and keep Rosa safe! I'll throw in some hits for you!" Hope cried as he stood in front of the coughing hero and weak Mage. Snow kept his eyes on the fight as he tried to catch his breath and keep Rosalia on her feet. Said Mage, however, was still trying to process the shock and sadness she felt. Her mother's killer was trying to kill her and, on top of that, her memories of her mother were rushing back, making the long scar open up again and release its pain on her again. Once the three in front took down the machine attacking them, another ship came up.

"Again? There's no end to these guys!" Fang cried. Suddenly, the ship was shot down as another landed, soldiers coming out. The three in front prepared to attack when one walked forward, greeting,

"Heya, Fang. Need a ride?" As he walked forward, he removed his helmet, making himself known.

"Rygdea…" Rosalia whispered, though she still looked out of it in Snow's eyes.

"Don't get cute." Fang remarked as she stood up. "Right, let's move it." Lightning and Fang went first while Hope waited for a still coughing Snow to lead Rosalia to Hope, giving the boy a thumbs up and a smile as he did so. Hope smiled as he took his best friend from the hero, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her onto the ship, knowing he needed to talk to her and snap her out of this. However, Hope paused on his way and looked back, whispering,

"Take care, Dad." Rosalia reached out and weakly squeezed Hope's hand on her waist, the only comfort she could offer.

* * *

_After we left Palumpolum, I felt as if I wasn't myself anymore. I had finally met my mother's killer face to face, sort of. And he had proudly proclaimed he was her killer with not a lot of remorse in his voice. It was there that I realized that I never really kept my family or my home as close as I should've in the short time I had them. Now, I know better and I plan on treasuring the family and home I gained from all of my journeys for the rest of my life, however long that is._

* * *

**There's the chapter! Phew, that was really long, longest one yet, and I only had one fight in it! Okay, so I decided on Rosch being Elena's kind of killer because I felt it would bring some interesting development for Rosa since she now knows the truth, which I will show next chapter. I also wanted to show that she still hasn't fully grieved her parents because she felt she's always had to be strong for others and really does need that time to mourn but she just hasn't gotten to it yet. Her father's death is resolved now, in her eyes, now she just has to face her mother's. Also, the song used in this chapter is titled Uninstall and the lyrics belong to geekyfandubs on YouTube and the song itself is from Bokurano I believe. I don't claim to own either but I do want to thank ChaosDancer12 for introducing me to it. Anyways, thanks to Guest (Thanks, your review was so sweet!), ShadowPhoenix34, Xyzantylzethyrioses (Yeah, I just didn't know how to change those kind of lines. Besides, I'm a weird canon stickler to a kind of extent. It's not helpful at times.), ChaosDancer12, anime-aquarion-fan, DexG23, Liune, AnimeAndGames4Ever and Brooke Vengence for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 925 readers! Okay, so I am still accepting OCs to be Mages. Since a generation is typically 25 years, and there are 500 years between Tikal and Vanille and Rosalia, I can have 20 total Mages there. So far, including the newest mage given to me by ShadowPhoenix34, I have 5 Mages in between Tikal and Rosalia. One is Tikal's daughter, one is Rosa's great great great grandmother, one is Rosa's great great grandmother, one is Rosa's grandmother and the last is Rosa's mother so I can have 15 more Mages there. I'm not sure how many I'm going to have before ****Zyzantlyia, Vanille and Tikal's mother, and after Propheta, the first Mage. So submit your OCs and I'll use them! Okay, that's everything I think. Review to let me know what you think! Later!**

**EDIT: I don't need any more OCs to be Mages, I've already got an idea about what I'm doing now and I will explain more next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7:Storming the Enemy

Rosalia sat on the bed of one of the rooms on the _Lindblum_, staring down at her hands as she clutched them tightly. She was trembling and her eyes showed her fear. She didn't move when the door opened nor when Hope sat down beside her on the bed. Hesitantly, the silver haired boy reached out, pried the Mage's fingers apart and took one of her hands in his own, trying to calm her down before he did anything else. Rosalia still looked down, her hand limp in Hope's, as he softly began to sing,

"_Outside you're trembling as you stand,_

_In falling rain_

_Try to find where you belong,_

_As you drown the pain_

_You hear the voices crying_

_Inside a world monochrome_

_But their eyes are bleeding tears of_

_Magenta_

_Don't you let go_

_Take another breath when you're lost again_

_If you only break the walls within,_

_Find the courage_

_When you feel like the world is falling in,_

_And you can't seem to find the way back in_

_Don't cry_

_Just hear these words and remember again"_

Rosalia allowed the smallest of smiles to slip past her lips as she joined Hope, their voices harmonizing instantly, as if they were meant to.

"_Another silent prayer fades_

_As the night slips past_

_I try to reach out to the light through the glass _

_As it shatters"_

Hope smiled as Rosalia's grip tightened around his fingers and he stopped singing, as he always did so she could sing her part.

"_Don't you let go_

_Take a look around, you are not alone_

_If you'd only stop and close your eyes_

_Find the answers_

_When you feel like the world is falling in,_

_And you can't seem to find the way back in_

_Don't cry_

_Just hear these words and remember"_

Rosalia leaned closer to Hope, resting her head on his shoulder as she stopped singing. The boy stiffened before he slowly relaxed as he saw the Rosalia he knew was there, smiling gently. Smiling gently down at her, Hope began to sing his part.

"_Don't you let go_

_Take another breath when you're lost again,_

_If you'd only break the walls within_

_Find the courage_

_When you feel like the world is falling in,_

_And you can't seem to find the way back in_

_Don't cry_

_Just hear these words and remember again"_

Hope leaned his head against Rosalia's, almost by reflex. He didn't know what was encouraging him to act like this, considering until he saw his father he hadn't been himself and even before that he could _never _work up the courage to so much as hold her hand unless she needed comfort. Most of the time, Rosalia had been the one to grab his hand or hug him, never him. But, as he breathed in the familiar scent of her familiar strawberry scented shampoo, he couldn't help but think this was _natural _and _right_. As if…he was supposed to do this for the rest of his life…and he was more than happy to comply as he felt the Mage turn her head so she was facing his neck and he could feel her gentle smile, a smile he'd never seen or felt her where before. He opened his eyes, which had closed at some point, and his thumb paused in tracing the white Etro's Symbol on her wrist, he didn't even know when he started doing that, as he realized that he _wanted _to be with his best friend _exactly _like this and _more _for the _rest of his life_. Yet, at the same time, the thought didn't scare him or even surprise him. All it did was fill him with an indescribable warmth that made a goofy grin spread across his face. But the strangest thing of all was that _he didn't mind any of this._

"Rosa…I'm sorry about your mom." He finally whispered as his goofy grin fell away when he remembered the issue at hand.

"…She's been gone for my entire life, I'll be okay." Rosalia whispered back.

"Rosa, don't lie." Hope stated. The Mage stiffened slightly as she pulled away from Hope slightly to meet his eyes, though she still sat close to him and had her hand in his still. "You can't keep everything bottled up anymore, it'll only hurt you." The boy could only watch as tears formed in her eyes and her head bowed.

"It's so hard…" She sobbed as Hope pulled her closer, allowing her face to rest in the crook of his neck while he ran his hand through her hair, feeling her tears on his neck. "S-she's been gone for f-fourteen years and I c-couldn't do anything because I h-had to be strong f-for everyone. I…I-I tried to stop feeling this way b-but I can't! Why…why can't I stop?"

"Because you love your mom, even if she had to leave you." Hope whispered into her ear, feeling her shiver against him. "She loved you too and you've never allowed yourself to grieve, just like I didn't until we went to see my Dad. You need to grieve when you lose someone you love otherwise…you'll lose a part of yourself along with them." And it seemed Hope's words broke the final wall as the tears Rosalia had been holding for fourteen _long _years fell and she let out a loud wail as sobs racked her body. She gripped Hope's jacket tightly, as if she was silently telling him not to leave her. "I'm not going anywhere." Hope whispered as he bowed his head so his face was buried in her hair and his eyes closed.

* * *

Because of their position, neither teenager noticed as Lightning, Snow and Fang all watched them from the door. All three adults had small smiles on their faces as Lightning quietly shut the door before they faced each other.

"Okay, when do you think they'll get together and how much do you bet on it?" Fang asked with a wicked grin that Snow returned while Lightning shook her head slightly, though she was smiling slightly. All three wrote down their bets and their amounts before they went their separate ways, though they now all planned on keeping a _close _eye on the teenagers.

* * *

_There she is. The _Palamecia_, pride of the Sanctum Skyfleet! This mighty flagship currently serves as a prison for the l'Cie apprehended in Nautilus. The l'Cie will face official sentencing upon the convoy's arrival in the capital._

The people on the _Lindblum _stared at the TV as the reporter stated this.

"So what's with the freak show?" Snow asked.

"So the Primarch can stand in judgement of the villainous l'Cie…" Cid Raines said, "…with their execution as the climax. The people will cheer their demise, and fal'Cie dominion will be undisputed."

"All part of the plan." Lightning stated.

"Yes, but it also presents an opportunity." Raines continued.

"It's gotta be Vanille and Sazh, right? Then we've gotta save them!" Rosalia insisted.

"Don't worry, Ro. We'll get 'em." Fang smiled as she nudged the young Mage.

"I hope so…" Rosalia whispered as her Gran Pulse accent slipped into her speech, causing Fang to look at her in appreciation.

_In a display of unwavering dedication to duty…the Primarch himself has boarded the _Palamecia_…and focused his personal attention on resolving the Pulse crisis._

"They're baiting us. Trying to draw us out." Fang stated as Rosalia's fists clenched in anger.

"Bait, huh?" Snow asked as Hope reached out and put a hand over the Mage's clenched fists.

"It'll be okay." Hope whispered.

"Yeah, that's right: 'Here are your friends. Come and get 'em'." Lightning summed up.

"Well, if they're daring us to mount a rescue…I'll take that action. All in." Snow agreed.

"Alrighty, bets are on the table. We leave when you're ready. I'll be standing by." Rygdea informed as he ran off. Rosalia began to pace, which was how she got rid of any extra energy, though she knew it wouldn't do much for her in this situation.

"Rosa?" Said Mage turned as Lightning approached her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I know the full truth about my mom now, for better or for worse, and I finally grieved both of my parents' deaths. I'm ready to accept my duty as the Mage now. I'm going to protect the people of both Gran Pulse _and _Cocoon, just like the Mages before me did. I'm gonna make them proud, starting by rescuing Vanille and Sazh, my ancestor and my friend." Rosalia smiled softly.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." Lightning smiled a motherly smile as she placed a hand on Rosalia's arm.

"Thanks Light." The Mage smiled.

* * *

_Light, by that point, had become my mother figure. Where nobody else was could reach me, she could. She didn't fill the role immediately, of course, but by the time we went after Vanille and Sazh, she had changed and became my mother. That wasn't the only time she made me feel better, but the next time…it was as if she brought me back to life itself. But that's not for a long while and I'm getting off topic. Sorry, heh._

* * *

The party followed Rygdea to the ship they were going in.

"This baby back here's a PSICOM vessel. It'll deliver you to the _Palamecia_." Rygdea explained.

"Oh, we're cargo now?" Snow asked, crossing his arms.

"A parting gift to our rotting government. Take those PSICOM guys apart." Rygdea requested.

"And we're supposed to take on all of them? I think the whole division's on board." Lightning commented.

"If I was a full Mage, I would probably be able to hold half of them back at least but my fear, whatever it is, is still holding me back." Rosalia commented as she brought her hood up and began to play with it.

"I don't care how many lackeys they've got. Bring 'em on! Vanille's in there." Fang said as she stepped forward.

"I'm sure she's fine." Hope assured the dark haired woman. "Vanille's tougher than I could ever be."

"But you're braver than most people, including me a lot of the time. You're fine." Rosalia smiled as she nudged Hope's shoulder.

"Heh, and you're stronger than me. You wanna keep playing this game?" Hope teased.

"Oh, shush." Rosalia grinned as she pushed his shoulder only for him to grab her hand in his and intertwine their fingers as he lowered them, causing a faint pink blush to color the Mage's cheeks, though she quickly pushed it down.

"Hope, Rosa, are you two scared?" Lightning asked as the adults looked at the two. With their eyes on the soldier, Fang and Snow made motions over the teens' heads, both basically telling the other they were going down in regards to the bet. As Hope began to speak, both Snow and Fang turned to the two.

"Yeah, I'm terrified. But I'll be okay." Hope smiled.

"I'm just as scared, but I'm not giving up and I'm not abandoning my family. I'll be fine." Rosalia smiled as she looked at the party that really _had _become her family in the course of a few days.

"Because we have you, and this guy, and Fang." Hope added, looking at each adult in turn before he looked down at Rosalia. "We're all in this mess. We've got to stick together." Rosalia smiled and stepped closer to the boy, leaning her head on his shoulder as she did so.

"There's my Hope. What took you so long to get here?" She teased. Hope chuckled.

"I was lost, but the light you guys showed me brought me back." He stated.

"I guess I should thank you guys then for bringing my best friend back to me." Rosalia grinned as she straightened out and looked at the adults, all of whom wore teasing smiles, though the teens' ignored them. Rygdea cut in then.

"Right, enough with the bonding." He said, "It's go time." Lightning joined Rygdea in leading the way as Rosalia and Fang fell into step behind them and Snow and Hope took up the rear, Snow pushing Hope as they walked.

"What do you mean 'this guy'?" The hero asked, Hope laughing as they walked.

"Well, looks like you two are close." Fang teased Rosalia.

"We've always been that close, I don't know what you're talking about." Rosalia stated, crossing her arms.

"Nuh uh, nice try, Ro. But last time I saw, you two weren't _that _close at the Estheim house. He didn't grab your hand and, according to Light and Snow, you never laid your head on his shoulder." Fang smirked, causing pink to spread over the Mage's cheeks.

"Sh-shut up, Fang!" She said, pushing the dark haired woman as her accent came out in full force. Fang simply laughed.

"Nice accent, by the way."

* * *

_Fang was always the one that teased me the most. She was a great friend, she was like my aunt in my mind. She spent that entire flight teasing me about Hope though, so I ended up on the _Palamecia_ with a very red face that I would rather not have. Snow, on the other hand, kept teasing Hope, who denied any kind of romance between us. At the time, he was right, we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend or something like that. But that was _at the time_._

* * *

Once Rygdea was cleared to land, he let the party out. Once the five were out, they all stretched out the kinks in their muscles as they walked. It was silent for several long minutes when an alarm went off.

"_Code Red! Repeat: Code Red!" _As the alarm went off, the party looked around, trying to figure out what was happening as PSICOM troops ran out. _"Attention all crew: this is not a drill! Code Red!"_

"Wonderful. Not even ten minutes and we're already having trouble." Rosalia huffed as she took out Angel Wing and Demon Wing. Before they left the ship, she had gotten rid of her robe and returned her beads to her neck in order to not show she was the Mage. Being hidden was better than being captured.

"Alright. Let's tear 'em up!" Snow grinned as he got into a fighting stance.

"We're here for Vanille and Sazh. Stay focused!" Lightning called out.

"And remember: no one gets left behind!" Rosalia cried as she ran forward and struck one Raider while casting Water on another. Hope cast Fire, Lightning cast Blizzard, Sparkstrike, Aquastrike and Fire, Fang attacked and Snow cast Thunder. Hope threw his boomerang as Fang cast Fire and Snow punched one of the Raiders. Lightning and Rosalia both casted Thundara as Fang launched the troops into the air, causing the boys to jump up in order to strike them down. Rosalia cast Quake as she punched a soldier, knocking him down as she hissed in pain before a Cure from Hope rushed through her. Snow cast Aero as Lightning cast Protect and Rosalia cast Slow. With so many soldiers slowed down, Fang, Hope, Snow, Lightning and Rosalia all attacked repeatedly. Eventually, the soldiers were down. However, more soldiers were not too far behind.

"Looks like they want to play." Fang stated as they all prepared for battle again.

"No kidding. So where to?" Snow asked.

"Right up there." Fang smirked as she pointed up.

"Then let's go." Rosalia said as they took off.

* * *

After several fights and a couple elevators later, the party reached the outside, which caused Rosalia to grin as she felt the wind blow through her white streaked blonde hair and rose petals as she jumped.

"Won't be going back that way." Snow commented as Hope helped the Mage up, since he caught her.

"We'll find another route." Lightning stated.

"Way ahead of you." Fang smirked, "See that?" She pointed.

"Let's go!" Hope nodded.

"I'm up for this. But be careful to not fall." Rosalia warned.

* * *

Several fights, of course, later, the party reached a hallway where they paused with Snow in the lead and Hope and Rosalia at the end.

"Let us through! Block our way, you die!" Snow yelled.

"You _trying _to get 'em angry?" Fang asked, her hand on her hip.

"Even _I _have more tact than that." Rosalia commented as she crossed her arms and the party was startled to hear her Gran Pulse accent.

"Thought maybe they'd run. There's been enough blood spilled." Snow explained.

"Don't say that." Rosalia whispered as she looked down, her accent still obvious. She hated the blunt reminder Snow gave her that she hadn't done her job as the Mage by allowing so much blood to be spilled. Hope's arms surrounded her, rubbing her back to comfort her as Snow hastily apologized.

"You thought they'd run?" Lightning asked Snow, changing the topic. "Let me refresh your memory. Those soldiers think they're protecting Cocoon from l'Cie. The fal'Cie have them all brainwashed." Snow punched the wall they were leaning against in anger.

"Fal'Cie…I have had it! We cannot let this go on!" Snow cried.

"It's my fault it's happening in the first place. I'll fix it, I promise." Rosalia swore as she stepped away from Hope.

"No way are you going alone!" Snow protested.

"I wasn't planning on it." Rosalia grinned.

"You know the accent's gonna take some getting used to." Hope whispered to her. Rosalia giggled,

"Of course it is." Suddenly, another alarm went off.

"_Attention all crew: Code Green! Repeat: Code Green! Security forces stand by! Hostile forces on board, Code Green!"_

"We'd better move." Lightning stated as she began to lead the way.

* * *

The party continued running when they found a screen and watched it change as the alarms sounded again.

"_Code Purple! I repeat: Code Purple! Security breach! All units on alert! Code Purple!"_

"All these colors. What's it mean?" Hope asked.

"Means we're doing our job. Making a lot of PSICOM guys nervous." Fang smirked.

"The fact that there are so many codes shows that." Rosalia agreed with a smirk. Suddenly, there was a shaking.

"Who are they fighting?" Hope asked.

"Vanille." Fang stated.

"Then let's go get them!" Snow cried with a grin.

* * *

Eventually, the party reached the weather deck on the starboard side, with lots of fights getting in the way, of course.

"The wind-it's dying down." Hope commented.

"Yeah, it's stopping." Lightning nodded.

"And _we're _slowing down." Rosalia added.

"They up to something?" Lightning asked as she crossed her arms.

"I don't suppose it could just be-I don't know-good luck?" Snow asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"That looks a lot more like bad luck." Fang stated.

"What else is new?" Rosalia sighed but she was simply serious.

"You've got a point." Snow conceded to the Gran Pulse girls.

"Not to me." Lightning stated. "That? That we can do something about."

"Then let's get to it." Hope smiled before the five charged in, ready for battle.

It was when they reached the side of the _Palamecia _that things got complicated.

"Watch out!" Rosalia cried as she spotted a Kalavinka Striker flying close.

"So, Light…How you figure this makes us lucky?" Fang asked.

"Because when we kill it, we're one step closer to Vanille. How's that?" Lightning asked.

"Well, when you put it that way!" Fang grinned. Instantly, Fang and Snow began casting Slow as Hope and Rosalia casted Protect around their friends and Lightning cast Libra. Snow cast Shell after that followed by Rosalia casting Ruin as Hope kept up Protect as the Kalavinka Striker flew and attacked while Fang kept casting Slow. Lightning then cast Shell and Hope cast Ruin while Snow took up Libra and Rosalia took Protect before casting Cure. The party continued with those same spells until they killed it and it fell off the ship's side…only for another to take its place.

"Another one!" The teenagers shouted as it flew up.

"One big, fat stroke of luck after another. I'm so happy I could cry." Snow said sarcastically. As the Kalavinka Striker flew closer, Rosalia held her hands up and a wave of light flew up and protected the party only for the Mage to stumble and fall down, though Fang caught her in time as Hope, Lightning and Snow all cast Cure on the girl.

"Tease us, will ya?" Fang cried as Rosalia righted herself, giving the dark haired woman a smile in thanks.

"Come down here!" Snow yelled. Suddenly, an explosion sounded off and the party turned to see a coughing Vanille and Sazh come out of their manmade hole.

"Vanille!" Fang cried.

"Fang!" Vanille cried and the two ran towards each other, meeting in the middle. The entire party, minus a huffing Sazh, watched as the two Gran Pulse women smiled at each other with Fang's hand on Vanille's arm, all of them smiling.

"There you are." Snow said as Sazh walked towards them.

"Miss me?" Sazh asked with a wave when Snow cut him off,

"Not you, the monster!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Rosalia snarled as she watched the Kalavinka Striker came back into sight, her accent thicker than it was.

"What? Where?" Sazh asked as he turned around. Fang and Rosalia instantly got to work casting Slow while Hope cast Barthunder, Lightning cast Ruin, Snow cast Blizzard, Vanille cast Water and Sazh cast Fire. Sazh then shot at the monster as Hope threw his boomerang and Vanille swung her staff. Rosalia crossed her swords and whispered a spell into each before she threw each of them and clapped, causing the spells to ignite, Blizzard from Angel Wing and Fire from Demon Wing. Several spells and attacks later, the monster roared before it fell, dead, causing the whole party to sigh in relief.

"Vanille!" Fang cried as she ran towards her friend.

"Fang!" Vanille cried as she met Fang in the middle. Fang's free arm wrapped around the redhead as she cried, as if she were trying to protect her from the world. The entire party smiled as they watched them, glad to have reunited the friends.

"It's good to have both of you back." Rosalia said as she turned to Sazh. Sazh smiled as he playfully messed with the Mage's hair, earning a 'hey!' from her.

"It's good to be back." He smiled as he watched the girl fix her hair, though she smiled back at him. Just then, Fang released Vanille, bent down, turned her and lifted her skirt to check her brand as everyone made a point to look away.

"You've still got time." Fang stated.

"Fang…There's-there's something I need to tell you." Vanille said when the spear wielder hugged her again.

"Making me worry like that…We'll talk later, Missy." Fang stated. As the two pulled away, Sazh sighed, drawing attention to him.

"What's wrong?" Snow asked.

"Huh?" Sazh asked, confused. "Oh, uh…nothing! It's nothing. Uh-so? What's on the agenda?" Snow stepped forward and slammed his fist into his hand.

"Toppling the Sanctum." He stated.

"No, I mean really." Sazh repeated.

"He's serious. We're gonna take down the Sanctum and give Cocoon back to the people." Lightning explained. "The fal'Cie have called the shots for long enough."

"If we pull this off, it will be a miracle." Hope stated.

"Well, good thing Lady Luck's on our side." Fang stated.

"Which Lady Luck are we talking about here, Fang? The real one or the l'Cie bad luck version?" Rosalia asked as she crossed her arms. Just then, more Strikers flew above the party. "Never mind, there's my answer." The Mage sighed.

"More of 'em?" Sazh asked.

"You know, this is getting really old." Snow stated.

"Check this out. A miracle-Gran Pulse style!" Fang grinned.

"Why do I have a bad _and _a good feeling about this?" Rosalia asked as she watched Fang and Vanille run forward.

"Because you're a Cocoon born girl with Gran Pulse flowing in her blood." Hope answered which earned him a nudge and a 'shut up'.

"Vanille, go fish!" Fang cried.

"Got it." Vanille stated as a Striker flew towards them. After it flew over the two, who barely avoided its attack, Vanille threw her staff. As the Striker was caught, Fang jumped in the air. "Fang!" Vanille cried as she released the monster. A second after, Fang jumped down and stabbed the beast.

"That's a good girl!" Fang said before she turned to the party. "Alright!"

"Let's get on!" Vanille cried as she made her way towards the beast, Rosalia right behind her.

"We need to talk, Vanille." Rosalia whispered as the two led the way to Fang and the Striker.

* * *

_Of course, I didn't get to talk to her while we were flying…I was more occupied by what was going on at the time._

* * *

As the Striker flew, the party held on, Rosalia up front since she was the smallest with Hope behind her, then Vanille and Lightning while Fang knelt, Snow stood while holding onto the side and Sazh was forced to hand on with only his hands as he flapped in the wind.

"Believe in Lady Luck now?" Fang grinned as they flew.

"I am renaming the Lady Lucks! There's Cocoon Lady Luck and Gran Pulse Lady Luck!" Rosalia cried as she held on.

"Yeah-Lady _Bad _Luck!" Sazh cried as he tried to not let go.

"Time to Purge a Primarch!" Snow cried.

"You got it!" Fang agreed. "Ya!" It was just then that they were under fire from all sides as Sazh screamed. As they got closer, the Striker fired, giving them space to fly.

"Jump!" Lightning cried and they all complied, screaming as they fell.

* * *

_There were doubts, we all had them. After all, we knew what could happen to us if we failed our Focus or if we completed it. While Vanille and Fang gave us hope of everything being alright, we all knew we would have to face many struggles in the future. I…knew that better than anyone. Because I had yet to conquer my biggest fear, it hadn't manifested yet. But I didn't care because they gave me hope that, even without my Semblance and full strength, we could change fate, both ours and Cocoon's._

* * *

The entire party was groaning as they landed and all stood up, Fang, Snow and Sazh helping Vanille, Rosalia and Hope respectively.

"Everyone okay?" Rosalia asked and as she heard the responding groans, she cast Cure, healing all of them.

"Since when do you use magic, anyway?" Sazh asked.

"Oh, right, you weren't there for that." Rosalia said, "Well, the truth is…I'm the Mage. My name is Rosalia Propheta."

"_You're _the Mage that's been missing for 14 years?!" Sazh cried, shocked.

"Well, for most of them I was growing up but yeah, that's me." Rosalia admitted. "My mom was the last Mage, Elena Propheta, and PSICOM killed her because she was a Pulse l'Cie. How ironic." She chuckled mirthlessly.

"Dysley's through there." Lightning stated, changing the topic.

"We're still gonna talk." Fang reassured Vanille as Snow walked forward. "But let's survive this first, yeah?"

"Right." Vanille nodded. As the party started walking, Rosalia fell into step beside the redhead.

"Vanille…you knew I was the Mage as soon as we woke up at Lake Bresha, didn't you?" Rosalia asked.

"What? But, how could I-?" Vanille started to ask.

"Because of this." Rosalia cut in as she held up her right arm, showing her ancestor the Mage brand. "And the reason you knew was because…your sister had the same brand." Vanille sighed and hung her head.

"Fang told you?" She asked.

"Yeah. Vanille…why didn't you just tell me? I'm your friend _and _your descendent. You can trust me." Rosalia said.

"I know but…you looked like Tikal did before she got her full powers. So, I figured you weren't going to use them and nobody else called you the Mage…I just didn't want to upset you." Vanille explained. Rosalia instantly gathered the older girl in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for respecting my privacy and thank you for being my family." She whispered. Vanille smiled and wrapped her arms around Rosalia.

"Your welcome." As they pulled apart, Vanille added, "By the way, when did you get an accent?"

"Heh, I've suppressed it since I was a little kid and knowing I'm actually from Gran Pulse makes me comfortable enough to use it again." Rosalia admitted.

"Well, I like it." Vanille grinned as she linked arms with the Mage and they continued walking. "By the way, when are you and Hope going to become a couple already?"

"Vanille!"

* * *

_Honestly, Hope and Vanille had a gift. They could both make me smile and laugh no matter what was happening. The world could've been ending but if the two of them were by my side, I would wear a smile through the whole thing. The ironic thing is…when the world truly _was _ending, neither of them was themselves and they weren't there for me. Of course, I don't have any excuse either…but I'm getting ahead of myself._

* * *

The party ran as fast as they could down the hallway when they finally reached the room where the Primarch and a woman Rosalia sensed was named Nabaat were waiting.

"Been looking for you, Nabaat!" Sazh cried as they continued to run. Nabaat jumped down and met them in the middle as Sazh took out his gun and pointed it at the woman.

"Your Eminence, please escape. I'll cover your retreat." Nabaat said as she took out her weapon.

"Why don't you leave, Jihl." The Primarch cut in. "Or rather, take your leave. Humans have no business here."

"What?" Nabaat gasped as she turned to face the Primarch. "Your Eminence!" Suddenly, light covered the woman as she was electrocuted by the Primarch.

"Wha-?" Sazh gasped, "Magic?" Light suddenly covered the Primarch and he flew into the air.

"No!" Rosalia cried as she realized what he was going to do. A second later, the Primarch shot the light at every human in the room.

"Dysley!" Snow shouted in anger as people continued to fall and the Primarch floated into the air once he got rid of the roof.

"I've failed…again!" Rosalia whispered.

"Monster! People are not yours to use!" Snow shouted. The Primarch floated down then.

"What else does one do with tools?" He asked. Snow cried out in anger before he ran forward and tried to punch the leader only to be electrocuted and shot back.

"Snow!" Hope and Rosalia cried as they knelt beside him with the rest of the party standing behind them and tears falling from Rosalia's eyes as she cast Cure.

"Cocoon is a factory, built by fal'Cie." The Primarch said, "A factory for the mass production of human thralls."

"Not anymore, it's not!" Snow said as he pushed himself up, strengthened from Rosalia's magic.

"What can mere men do?" The Primarch asked as the teenagers helped the hero to stand. "Without our help, death is all of which you're capable. You saw the fools. A mindless mob drunk on fear of a few l'Cie."

"If they only knew a l'Cie was the one filling their glasses!" Lightning cried as she stepped forward, gunblade at the ready.

"L'Cie?" The Primarch chuckled, "You mean me? Oh child, perish the thought. I am more than that!" The Primarch held his staff up and in a bright flash of light, he changed form. "I am fal'Cie. My name is Barthandelus. Voice of the Sanctum, and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie." The party stared up at the former Primarch in horror as they realized what he was and that they, and the Mages before Rosalia, trusted him. "Your kind feared the darkness, so we gave you light. You begged us for the Purge, and did it not come to pass? Now you spurn our counsel? You must learn your place!"

"No…this can't be happening…" Rosalia whispered but she didn't sound like herself. Her voice was now a mixture of voices, too many for any single member of the party to pick out in that moment. But, the thing was, each voice was female and held some similarities, such as many had the Gran Pulse accent while others had the Cocoon one. It seemed as if several Mages were suddenly speaking through the newest one. "We trusted you…we _fought for you_! …How could this…be? How could we…not see? We were blinded…we failed the people!" Crying out, light surrounded the Mage as her robe reappeared and the beads returned to her forehead. She was holding her head tightly, the voices still mixed with Rosalia's own as she continued to speak in the same way when she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Rosa!" Most of the party cried.

"Ro!" Fang cried before she turned to the party. "Light, Snow, Hope, you take care of him. We've got Ro." Lightning and Snow nodded, though they hesitated for a minute. Hope, however, was frozen as he looked at his best friend, the girl he now could admit, to himself, he was in love with, as she laid on the ground, her face contorted in pain when Barthandelus struck him, forcing him out of his thoughts.

* * *

_While I was asleep, I saw every Mage that came before me. They were all panicking because none of them, not even Tikal with her Semblance of Sight, saw this coming. The leader of Cocoon that so many of them had trusted and fought for…was truly the enemy all along. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised he never branded a Mage before Mom as a Sanctum l'Cie. But, again, I'm getting off topic, sorry._

* * *

Rosalia regained consciousness as Barthandelus disappeared. She slowly sat up, Vanille supporting her as she did so.

"A fal'Cie running the Sanctum…" Snow shook his head.

"Then…I guess it wasn't Eden controlling things after all." Hope said as he helped Vanille bring the weak Mage to her feet. As Rosalia righted herself, she leaned her head onto Hope's shoulder, not that the boy seemed to mind.

"As I said." Barthandelus suddenly as the ground shook and Hope cried out while tightening his grip on a now whimpering Rosalia. Suddenly, Barthandelus returned in a flash of light, once again in his Primarch form. "I am Lord-Sovereign."

"Guess fal'Cie don't go down as easy as the rest of us." Sazh commented.

"Ease is not the issue. You have not fought to win." The fal'Cie said, "You should know quite well already the sure way of dispatching our kind. Ragnarok." Rosalia gasped and her eyes snapped open, though instead of her usual gray eyes with blue specks, her eyes were now blue green. They turned back however, when Fang spoke up.

"What's Ragnarok?" She asked. The woman suddenly cried out in pain as she held her shoulder that had her white brand tightly, breathing heavily.

"Pitiful l'Cie, you've forgotten your Focus." Barthandelus said before he pointed at the party. "Ragnarok is the beast one of you must become in order to lay waste to Cocoon. You have had the dream. One among you will become that monstrosity, defeat Orphan and destroy Cocoon." As he spoke, the fal'Cie vanished only to reappear near a new member of the party.

"Orphan?" Lightning asked as he appeared in front of them.

"The font of Eden's power." Barthandelus explained, "Orphan fuels Eden with strength, and Eden in turn sustains you and the rest of our kind. Destroy Orphan and you'll release a force such as this world has never seen. Cocoon will be torn asunder."

"So if I did that…" Fang said as she stood up. "Destroyed Orphan…"

"Your Focus will be fulfilled." The fal'Cie stated as he appeared in front of the woman.

"So what?" Lightning asked as she attempted to strike the fal'Cie only for him to vanish. "Who says it has to be?" The soldier demanded as the Primarch reappeared. Snow stepped forward and held up Serah's crystal tear.

"Serah asked us to save Cocoon before she turned to crystal." He said, "Save it. And that's what we're gonna do! Serah was trying to tell us how to complete our Focus, and we have-" Snow was cut off by the Primarch's laughing.

"Allow me to help you see the truth of things." He said, "The moment you arrived, your friend wept crystal tears. This was because her Focus required that you be brought together. That girl did nothing but assemble the tools for Cocoon's destruction." Snow stepped back slightly, looking down in shock. "Did it never occur to you? Or did you simply refuse to countenance the thought?" Suddenly the ground shook and the entire party cried out. "If you will not face the truth, then face the peril of your plight." An owl flew past them only to grow into a ship as the Primarch rose into the air. "Run, l'Cie! See how stark reality is!" He vanished then and the ground shook again, causing Rosalia to fall to the ground as Hope lost his grip on her.

"Come on!" Lightning cried and the entire party, including Rosalia who was now strong enough, ran into the ship.

* * *

As they flew away from the exploding main ship, Sazh cried,

"This is bad! The yoke's jammed!"

"What?" Lightning cried.

"I knew it was a trap!" Snow cried, angrily.

"Something's coming!" Hope cried.

"Everybody hold on!" Rosalia added when she suddenly sensed who it was. "Rosch…" As missiles were shot at the party and they barely avoided them, Snow cried,

"Hang on!" Several more missiles were shot at them and it was only when one was getting really close that Rosalia managed to do something. She threw her hands out towards where the missile was coming from, the Mage shouted,

"Barrier!" A second later, the missiles struck, but its smoke simply covered the barrier of light the Mage was trying to maintain. It was only when the smoke was cleared and they were flying up that the barrier was lowered, due to Rosalia's weakness.

"The hell kind of ship is this? Fighting on its own?" Sazh cried as the ship began to control itself, firing back at Rosch and expertly avoiding the coming fire.

"Can't we do something?" Hope cried as the ship shook.

"Got me! I give up!" Sazh cried.

"Rosa?" Hope asked, almost desperate.

"No way! Anymore and I'm gonna be out." The Mage argued as she tried to stay in her seat with all the shaking. Eventually though, the shaking stopped as Rosch apparently gave up. The entire party was looking out the back window when Vanille suddenly cried,

"Sazh, look out!" The party turned and they all screamed as they saw they were heading straight towards a building to crash, only to vanish as they struck it.

* * *

**There's the chapter! I'm so sorry it's been so long, I've just been really busy with school, my new job and other stories. Even now, in summer, I'm still busy with homework that I just can't seem to finish! But I finally managed to get this chapter up so I hope you guys enjoyed! Also, Rosalia will now be voiced by Maia Mitchell since I've decided I wanted her to have a Gran Pulse accent like Vanille and Fang. Also, Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon is a new theme for Hope and Rosalia because I feel each verse fits a part of their story. Honestly, I have so many ideas for 13-2 and LR and I cannot wait to get to them! Also, to the issue of Mages. I realized that I had 8 Mages I was going to use, 9 if you count the one mention of another, and so I decided to have 10 Mages in total, 5 on Gran Pulse and 5 on Cocoon. The newest Mages I came up with are as follows.**

**Fenna: Daughter of Propheta. Has pale green hair and gold eyes. Song: Heart Realize from Noragami.**

**Ramona: Ancestor of Tikal and Vanille, not certain. Has dark black hair and brown eyes. Song: My Soul, Your Beats from Angel Beats.**

**As you can see, neither has a Semblance because I couldn't come up with any, which is another reason this chapter took so long. So, you guys can submit any powers that you want either of these two to have as their Semblance and the ones I feel fit each girl best will be it! Oh, side note, thanks to ChaosDancer12 for introducing me to Magenta by Nano again, as the song used here is the rest of the song Rosalia sang in the Whitewood. Speaking of the first scene, I left no comments from Rosalia in the future simply because that scene was focused more on Hope, who's finally overcome his anguish that's clouded his mind this whole time, and I haven't really explored his feelings yet. How'd I do?**

**Alright, so thanks to Guest (Right here!), Gry18 (Sorry for missing your birthday, happy late one and I'll use your idea, though I'm gonna modify it just slightly and don't worry, Fang and Vanille will see Tikal many times in these games.), Guest (Nothing's wrong, just busy. But it's nice to know you care!), Guest (She'll still have Etro's symbol on her wrist because it's part of the Mage's brand, so it'll still be there.), Guest (Thanks! I'm glad you like it!), LadyAmazon (At least someone likes it. This chapter took me days to write cause I got kicked off my laptop and then I couldn't find the incentive to finish this chapter until tonight where I made a point to finish it and I did!), Gry18 (It's coming soon, don't worry.), ChaosDancer12 (Thanks again! You've been such a big help!), Horsemadgirl, limeemil1, Raizel R. Night, xXYuseiXAkikoXx, Agnew-San, CommanderofInsanity, kathia05 and CatLoverx33 for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 1,443 readers! Okay, that's everything! Phew, oh and is it just me or were the fight scenes in this chapter…awful? I feel like I'm getting worse with these, ugh! Oh and check out The World Ends With You simply because it's my newest obsession that I can't seem to get rid of and it's amazing! Okay, I'm done now. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, leave a review to let me know what you think! Later!**


	8. Chapter 8:Training and Fate

The entire party slowly exited the ship, all looking around in confusion. Hope was still supporting Rosalia even she cast Cure on herself. Her head, however, was still buzzing with the voices of her mother and ancestors briefly reaching her consciousness before they faded to the back of her mind.

"I'm fine, Hope." She sighed. The boy, however, refused to release his grip on her waist.

"I don't care. I'm not letting you go." Hope whispered as he cast Cure on the blonde Mage. Rosalia sighed and a groan of frustration slipped through even as she leaned her head so it rested on Hope's shoulder, her face burying in his neck causing the silver haired boy to blush, even though she had been doing that since she was a kid whenever she wanted his comfort and he offered it to her in the form of a hug. What Hope didn't see, however, was the pink tint that took over Rosalia's face, which she was attempting to hide because of how his words struck her heart.

Sazh, Vanille, Fang, Snow and Lightning, however, did notice both teenagers' reactions. While Fang made plans to get Sazh and Vanille in the betting pool, Lightning spoke up to redirect the conversation away from the teens.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Looks like a piece of Pulse." Vanille stated.

"Pulse? What, you mean like the Bodhum Vestige?" Sazh asked. "Something like that, this close to Eden…"

"The people would freak out if they heard about this." Rosalia stated as she stood up and forced Hope to release her waist. He kept his word, however, and took her hand instead, still refusing to let her go.

"Yeah, well, what I don't understand is, after the Purge, and all that l'Cie paranoia…why keep a chunk of Pulse under the floorboards?" Fang asked.

"Is this what the Primarch wanted us to see?" Hope asked.

"A place for l'Cie to accept their fate." Lightning suddenly stated. At the word 'fate', Rosalia stiffened, remembering the fate she had been running from for 14 years and, in a sense, was still running from it.

_I'm the Mage and I've accepted it, but since I've done that, I've done _nothing _to fulfill my job yet it's fated that I will do it, fall in love, get married, have a daughter and die probably before I get to meet my grandchildren. I don't want that but now that I've stepped on this path, there's nothing I can do to escape it._

"You okay?" Hope whispered.

"Not really, I'll explain later." Rosalia answered softly. She didn't want to tell the others, not yet.

"Do you really think our Focus is what Dysley said it is?" Hope asked aloud.

"You mean, become Ragnarok." Vanille clarified.

"Destroy the fal'Cie Eden, and shatter Cocoon." Sazh added.

"All while killing all the innocent people on it." Rosalia finished as she clutched her branded wrist tightly, her hand covering both the l'Cie and Mage brands.

"That's what the vision is telling us, more or less." Sazh said. He sighed before he continued, "So, we're back to square one. Out of luck." The group fell silent, all looking very depressed when Vanille noticed Snow standing off to the side, silent.

"Mr. Hero! Cocoon calling Snow!" She called. Snow, however, showed no reaction. At that moment, Rosalia felt overwhelming waves of sadness that she knew weren't just from her somehow.

"It's almost like Dysley wants it to come true." Hope said.

"Seems that way." Sazh agreed. "He sure didn't mind explaining it. 'Here's your Focus on a silver platter'."

"But that doesn't make sense. I don't get it." Vanille protested. "Why would a Cocoon fal'Cie want to destroy Cocoon?"

"Maybe it's a fal'Cie thing. You know what I mean? Some grand design we just don't understand." Hope suggested.

"That sounds like we're comparing them to gods. I may not be able to speak for Pulse, Lindzei and Bhunivelze, but I know Etro wouldn't want that." Rosalia spoke up, though her eyes held a faraway look and she sounded like somebody else.

"Hey, Snow! Nothing from you?" Fang asked. The hero remained silent and the party gave up as they began to walk.

"So, this way?" Sazh suggested as they started to walk. Hope made sure he kept a firm grasp on Rosalia's hand and that they were walking by themselves. As if they knew why the two wanted to talk, the adults all made sure the two teenagers were by themselves.

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to trick it out of you?" Hope asked, keeping his tone light hearted to try and get her to open up more easily. It usually worked back home and now was no exception. A small smile crossed Rosalia's face before it fell again.

"I'm just…scared of fate, I guess." She admitted.

"Scared of fate?" Hope repeated, confused. The Mage nodded. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm scared because I know what's going to happen to me." Rosalia elaborated.

"And what's going to happen to you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going to protect the world, fall in love, get married, have a daughter and die before I even get a chance to meet my grandchildren." She answered as she vaguely registered that they had stopped walking and tears were slowly making their way down her cheeks. Yet as the words left her lips, she had never felt more relieved in her life. For the first time, she admitted her greatest fear and now all that was left to do was to see what the silver haired boy said.

"How do you know?" Hope whispered. Rosalia's eyes snapped open and she found herself face to face with Hope, his face much closer than what she remembered as his thumbs gently brushed her tears away.

"What?" She whispered back.

"How do you know that's your fate?" He clarified.

"Because it is every Mage's and it always will be." She stated.

"It doesn't have to be. I think you can change your fate as the Mage just like we're changing ours as l'Cie."

"I don't understand. I'm the Mage and that can't be changed, I tried and look how Cocoon ended up."

"No, I mean you don't have to be like all the Mages that came before you. Yes, they lived that exact fate but you don't have to. You can live a different life if you choose to. I believe in you and I think it's time you started believing in yourself."

"Hope…" Rosalia whispered, shocked. Suddenly, a warm gold colored light glowed around the Mage and she closed her eyes as it swept through her.

* * *

_There is no way for me to describe how that light felt. I could feel its warmth and strength as it spread to every part of my body, as if it were making me a new person. I felt whole for the first time in my life, like a puzzle piece I didn't know was missing was put right into place, as cliché as it sounds. The feeling from that light has never completely faded away, I still feel it, even now, and it's just…dimmer, so to speak._

* * *

"Is that…?" Vanille whispered from her place beside Fang in awe as the two observed the teens, as they volunteered to lead the two who had fallen behind back to the party.

"Yep, the same glow Tikal got all those years ago on Gran Pulse." Fang confirmed with a smile.

"Do you think Rosa knows what it means?" The redhead asked.

"I doubt it, Tikal had no idea either. And we're _not _telling her." The dark haired woman answered.

"I know, I know!" Vanille shook her head before she called, "Hey, you two! Come on, we've fallen behind!" Startled, the teens looked up before they ran to catch up with the rest of the party, though they didn't hear Fang whisper,

"So, when do you think they'll get together and how much you want to bet on it?"

* * *

As they continued to walk through the ruins, Vanille suddenly spoke up.

"This couldn't be-I mean, those were just legends, right?" She said, looking at Fang. The dark haired woman shrugged, not sure.

"I want to say we're close to Eden, but it's hard to be sure." Lightning stated.

"Then I guess we'd better keep exploring these ruins then." Rosalia suggested.

"That's all we can do right now." Sazh agreed as they fell into silence once again while they walked.

The party kept walking until they reached a platform.

"I can't believe we're still in Cocoon." Hope said, sounding awed.

"It's kind of creepy." Sazh admitted. Suddenly, a glowing red l'Cie symbol appeared under the party and each member grasped their brand in pain. Once the red symbol vanished and every member of the party's breathing was normal again, Sazh spoke up and asked what they were all thinking. "What the-?" Just then, all the machines surrounding the platforms opened and robots, called Pulsework Knights from what Rosalia could sense, appeared and began to attack, causing the party to whip out their weapons.

"Split up! We take them in two teams!" Lightning ordered. The party chorused their agreement before they split into their teams, Hope, Sazh and Lightning taking two robots and Rosalia, Fang, Vanille and Snow taking the other two.

Vanille attacked first, her staff extending to knock the robots off balance.

"Snow!" She cried.

"On it!" The hero cried as he cast Blizzard, trapping one robot in the ice while Vanille trapped the other one that Snow turned to complete ice. "Fang!"

"Got it!" The woman cried as she moved to snap the Pulsework Knight in half with her spear only for it to break the ice and knock her back, though she quickly righted herself. The other robot, however, also managed to break free.

"Alright, new plan." Rosalia said as she cast fire but instead of the usual three balls launching forward, four balls that were bigger than the three she was used to flew forward, knocking one robot off its feet.

"Nice one, Rosa!" Snow grinned before he grabbed the robot and threw it across the platform and punched the other one back. Just as he punched the Pulsework Knight, Fang jumped over him and knocked the robot back with her spear before she cast Ruin on it. Vanille had a similar tactic going on with the other robot as she had it all wrapped up and casted Fire on it, destroying it.

"One down!" Vanille grinned.

"One to go! Now, Ro!" Fang cried as she held the robot down with her spear. Rosalia instantly casted Fire causing the robot to explode. Following the spell, she casted Cure on her three comrades, healing any injuries they sustained, Fang especially. Just as they finished, the last robot the other three were dealing with exploded and Hope was already casting Cure on them.

"Everyone okay?" Rosalia asked.

"Oh yeah, just dandy! We love fighting everywhere we go, after all." Sazh stated sarcastically.

"Sarcasm is unnecessary, Sazh." Rosalia shook her head as they all began to walk again.

"I'm surprised the old man even knows what it is!" Snow teased, earning him a 'Hey!' from Sazh himself as they walked up stairs. When they reached the next platform, they all looked around when Vanille spoke up.

"This place-it must be an Ark." She deduced.

"An Ark?" Lightning repeated, confused.

"That's what they called 'em." Fang nodded.

"Long ago, the fal'Cie who made their home on Gran Pulse were afraid of invasion from the outside. As part of their battle preparations, they created an army of living weapons. And they stored those weapons in Arks, and they hid the Arks all over the world." Vanille explained. As Vanille spoke, however, not one member of the party noticed how Rosalia's lips formed the words as the redhead said them, nor the faraway look her eyes took on.

"Everyone on Gran Pulse knew the legend." Fang added.

"So, this is basically a Pulse armory." Lightning summed up.

"Mmhm. Most of us never believed in 'em." Fang said, "A few people tried searching, but they never found a thing."

"Some even tried to pay my sister, Tikal, to find them." Vanille added.

"Why?" Snow asked.

"Because she was the Mage then." Vanille explained, "But she never found any of them in any of her travels to keep Gran Pulse safe."

"Who'd have thought to look on Cocoon?" Fang shook her head in amazement as she looked around.

"Right under our noses. That's some secret they kept." Sazh said, "Those Sanctum guys, what are they up to?"

"The story's not done." Vanille cut in. "There's more."

"They used to say the Arks had a more practical purpose." Fang explained.

"Huh. Really." Lightning stated.

"Yeah, to force l'Cie to master their shiny new powers." Fang finished.

"Okay, so, I get it. Dysley's goal is to forge us into stronger weapons. Right." The soldier deduced.

"Not Cie'th, but monsters all the same." Sazh added before he shook his head.

"Think of it as training for the fight ahead." Hope said as he stepped forward, pulling Rosalia by her hand with him.

"Hope's right!" Vanille agreed.

"Wait. What was that?" Sazh asked as the party heard a rumbling.

"I don't think this is over yet." Rosalia stated as the machine opened again to reveal another Pulsework Knight.

"Aw, these guys again." Sazh growled.

"Fun times." Lightning stated sarcastically.

"Over there! We've got to keep moving!" Hope said as he pointed where they should go.

"If we stand around too long, we'll lose. Come on!" Rosalia cried as she and Hope led the way, Fang and Vanille close behind with Lightning, Snow and Sazh taking up the rear.

* * *

As they ran through the Ark, both avoiding fights and getting into them, Rosalia found herself running next to Sazh and decided to ask him a question.

"So, what happened when Hope, Light and I left you and Vanille?" She asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, Ms. Mage." Sazh stated.

"Alright, we'll trade. I'll tell you what happened to us and you tell me what happened to you two. Deal?" She negotiated, holding out her hand.

"Fine." Sazh agreed, shaking her hand.

"Alright, well we made our way to Palumpolum…"

* * *

_I told Sazh every detail of what happened from the moment our original party split up. He listened to every detail and didn't ask questions until I finished my story. He then proceeded to tell me what happened to him and Vanille and I almost cried when I heard about Dajh. I didn't know what Sazh felt like completely then but now I can say I understand completely everything Sazh went through. Losing both a child and a spouse, as I later learned when I cautiously asked about Dajh's mother, is one of the worst pains in life. I'd never wish it on anybody, least of all a good man like Sazh, who I consider my surrogate father in our ragtag group of saviors of the world._

* * *

The party gasped as they entered another room.

"These things…are alive." Sazh stated.

"What's the Sanctum up to? Are they planning to start a war?" Lightning asked.

"If they are, then they're going up against me." Rosalia stated.

"Not just you, all of us." Hope corrected as he took the Mage's hand. "Right?"

"Right!" Vanille grinned.

"Sure." Fang nodded.

"Eh, why not?" Sazh shrugged.

"Heroes don't run from a fight." Snow grinned as he pounded his fists together.

"You're not alone anymore, none of us are. If there's anyone we can count on, it's each other." Lightning stated quietly before she continued walking.

"Nice job, we managed to soften her!" Snow grinned.

"Careful Snow, or I'll start to think you like Light." Rosalia teased before the party set off again, Snow's protests to her statement drowned out by laughter.

* * *

The party fought all throughout the Ark when they reached a platform and a very big surprise.

"Raines?" Snow said, confused, as they walked towards the man. Cid continued to walk towards them even as the party stopped.

"What?" Fang gasped, confused.

"Easy, guys, it's alright." Snow assured as he saw the distrusting and on guard expressions Vanille and Sazh wore. "Raines is a Sanctum officer. He's been helping us out and-" Fang cut off Snow's explanation as she held her arm up to hold him back.

"Why are you here?" Fang asked, her voice showing her doubts in the officer.

"Raines!" Lightning suddenly shot forward, her gunblade out in a second. "You traitor!" Raines simply side stepped the soldier's first attack before blocking all the others and throwing her aside.

"Light!" Rosalia cried as she ran forward and instantly cast Cure as she heard Lightning cry out in pain.

"I put you on the path. That was my Focus." Raines said as he held Lightning's gunblade that fell into his hand after he threw the soldier. The party gasped as they saw the brand on his hand.

"You're a l'Cie?" Fang cried.

"Since long before we met." Raines nodded in confirmation. "I did my best to assist you, as bid by the Sanctum fal'Cie. Now do you understand? The fal'Cie have watched over you, guiding your every step. The 'luck' that saved you time and again was a deliberate machination. Why, you may ask? The Primarch-or should I say, Barthandelus-is crafting you into the instruments of Cocoon's demise."

"We've been played for fools." Fang growled angrily.

"A Cocoon fal'Cie? Why?" Sazh asked.

"Why? To restore the Maker." Raines answered.

"The Maker?" Hope asked.

"No…" Rosalia whispered as her eyes took on a faraway look again and as she spoke, her voice was mixed with another woman's and her eyes gleamed gold.

"The entity responsible creating both humans and fal'Cie." Raines explained, "Long ago, the Maker departed this world, leaving the two races behind. In a sense, human and fal'Cie are brothers-orphaned by the same parent. As for the humans, they forgot the order imposed by the Maker. They began to war amongst themselves for the first time in history. The fal'Cie focused on calling their lost deity, and returning the world to its former glory. This purpose lies at the heart of all their actions. Calling back the Master requires a fitting sacrifice."

"Yeah, we've heard. The destruction of Cocoon." Lightning stated as she stood up, completely healed. Rosalia, however, stayed kneeled and looked as if she were somewhere else.

"The lives of this world's entire populace in bloody tribute." Raines continued as he threw Lightning back her gunblade.

"No…that's crazy talk." Sazh said.

"You can't do that." Rosalia added, her voice flitting between different ones as her eyes took on several sheens in the light.

"I don't get it. Why do they need us? Couldn't the fal'Cie end Cocoon with just a thought?" Hope asked, bringing up a good point.

"Their existence is bound to the creation and maintenance of this floating shell." Raines explained, "It is their very nature that holds them in check."

"You mean…Cocoon fal'Cie can't destroy Cocoon?" Hope asked. "They needed tools."

"If we can stop this by doing nothing…we'll do nothing!" Vanille proclaimed.

"Noble. I expected as much." Raines stated.

"You lied to us." Snow spoke up, his voice showing his feeling of betrayal. "What happened to your dream of rebuilding Cocoon for the people? Was it all a lie?"

"A shadow of a dream from when I was human." Raines answered. "It was change I craved, and once I'd built the influence to make things happen, there was change. I gained all the power I could hope for, but was a puppet with no will to wield it. It wasn't the fal'Cie who changed. It was me."

"You…you were made a l'Cie?" Vanille asked.

"A l'Cie. Tied to an inescapable Focus-a slave of destiny." Raines said, "I'd lost hope. I'd all but given up on dreams of freedom."

"What are you saying?" Sazh asked.

"I'm here of my own accord, not by fal'Cie order." Raines explained, "Seeing you fight brought it all back. Brought back that future I once strove for. I, too, will challenge my fate." Suddenly, Raines' put his hand in the air as his brand's glow surrounded his body, causing every member of the party but Rosalia to gasp and cover their eyes. Raines snapped his fingers and the Sanctum l'Cie brand was projected around the party.

"Lindzei…" Rosalia whispered, sounding like another person.

"Easy, guys." Lightning warned.

"If I can defeat you here, the fal'Cie plan will fail." Raines said.

"Raines!" Fang cried.

"I will use all my remaining power." Raines vowed as he gathered said power causing him to change form. "I will set you free!" The party charged Raines, but to Rosalia it was as if it was all in slow motion. The voices were pounding in her head, each trying to take control and help. Rosalia couldn't move, no matter how much she wanted to. This, of course, resulted in the rest of the party having to keep her safe at all times.

"Ro! We could use some help here!" Fang cried a second before she was hit by one of Raines' attacks, causing her to cry out. Hearing Fang, Rosalia looked up and finally noticed how all the members of the party seemed to be having trouble, even if they did outnumber Raines. Slowly, the Mage stood up and walked forward.

"Everyone step back." She instructed in a distant voice. She waved her hand and a beam of light forced all members of the party to be shot back.

"Rosa!" Hope, Lightning, Sazh and Snow cried in worry.

"Wait!" Vanille cut in as she and Fang held the four back.

"Let's just see what she does. Besides, we've weakened Raines plenty, let her take 'im out." Fang suggested in a laid back tone as she watched the girl. They all stared as Rosalia stopped walking before she placed her hands over her heart and began to glow gold as she floated in the air and began to sing.

"_Thousands of cherry blossoms dwindling in the light  
Though I can't hear your voice, keep what I say in mind -  
This bouquet that surrounds is iron poison, see,  
Looking down at us from that big guillotine_

_Darkness has just engulfed the universe we know  
The lament that you sing can't reach ears anymore  
We are still far away from reaching peaks of hope  
Go ahead, keep shooting, use the flashing bolt!"_

Everyone in the room, from the party to Raines, gasped as Rosalia's voice changed to a single new person's and the light surrounding her grew brighter until nobody could see her. As her voice faded, the light fell away to reveal a different girl. Her hair was brown with orange and reddish streaks alongside the traditional Mage's white one and when she opened her eyes they were revealed to be blue with grayish silver specks in them. She wore a dark blue kimono with black lining that ended at her thighs with purple shorts underneath, long blue tights and black sandals. She also had a purple sash tied around her waist and black chopsticks holding her hair up slightly in a messy bun though most of her hair hung loosely. The sleeves of the kimono were so long that they covered her hands and went past the sleeves of the white Mage's cloak, effectively hiding her Mage brand at the same time. She also had the traditional orange, white and silver beads tightly around her forehead. The girl smirked as she quickly assessed the situation.

"You're gonna regret messing with me." She stated before she slammed her hands together and cried, "I am Kai Propheta, Mage of Cocoon. Semblance Shadow!" Suddenly, several copies of the girl, Kai, appeared and landed on the ground as did the original. The duplicates and the original suddenly flew around quickly, so quickly nobody could keep track of the original Kai.

"Uh oh. Which one is real?" One Kai asked, feigning empathy.

"Looks like it's up to you, Mister!" Another Kai grinned.

"But we won't take it easy on you!" A Third Kai added before she cast Water. And just like that, the duplicate Mages were flying around and attacking Raines from every angle with several different spells.

"You won't beat me with a trick like that!" Raines protested before he attacked the Kai closest to him only for her to burst into flames that instantly attacked the Sanctum l'Cie.

"Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that happens. Oops." One Kai teased with a smirk before she kicked Raines in the gut and followed immediately after with a Thunder spell.

"What're you gonna do now?" Another Kai gasped mockingly as she stood in front of Raines before she casted Ruin. Raines instantly attacked her as soon as he could causing the clone to become a bolt of lightning and send him flying back.

"Nope, wrong choice." A Kai stated.

"Now you have to pay the price." Another Kai sighed before all the clones came together and began to combine their power into a huge circle of light.

"This is the world we protect, your desecration shall not be allowed! Here us, we are the Mage, Kai Propheta, servant to the world and our goddess. With our power, we expel thy vast defilement! By the goddess Etro, we cleanse thee!" The clones of Kai and Kai herself cried before they released the ball of light that took Raines out. As he fell to the ground, gasping and panting, the clones of Kai became simple shadows before they returned to the original who stepped away from the Sanctum l'Cie.

"Raines…" Lightning trailed off as the rest of the party stepped forward, knowing they had to deal with Raines and then deal with Kai.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Raines said. "The only thing I wanted was a moment of triumph. How it ends isn't important. Just do what you know is right. Trust yourselves." With that said, a bright light surrounded him causing all the members of the party, Kai included, to shield their eyes. Once the light faded, they all gasped as they saw Raines was now a crystal.

"What? Did he complete his Focus?" Sazh asked.

"I don't think so." Snow answered. "All Raines did was try to save Cocoon in his own way. His own way!" With that said, Snow began to walk away.

"Hey!" Sazh cried.

"Where are you-?" Lightning started to ask.

"Snow!" Vanille cried.

"Is this normal? I haven't really been listening that long." Kai admitted a little sheepishly. Before anyone could answer, they all gasped as Raines' crystal began to glow again as it disappeared. Once Raines' crystal was gone, the party turned to Kai.

"What did you do with Rosa?!" Hope demanded angrily.

"Hey, calm down and I'll explain." Kai said before she removed her hood and bowed her head, her hand above her heart as she did so. "As you heard, I am Kai Propheta, Mage of Cocoon."

"But that doesn't make any sense." Sazh protested, "Rosa's the only Mage, right?"

"Right." Kai nodded, "But each Mage is different and, in turn, is given a special ability by Etro, which we call a Semblance. Mine is called Shadow, I use it to make clones of myself that, when attacked, become some kind of spell that hurts an enemy more than a regular spell does."

"When are you going to get to the part where you tell us where Rosa is?" Hope almost snarled, his hands clenched tightly into fists in his anger.

"Right now. According to my mom, Rosalia's Semblance is called Past. Basically, she can channel a select number of Mages who came before her. We then take control of her body and fight until either she decides another one us will work better or the battle is finished. However, when she is in this form, she cannot die, so she's safe." Kai explained with a gentle smile, one that suggested she was talking to younger siblings.

"And how do you know she can't die?" Lightning asked.

"Why should we even believe what you say?" Sazh added suspiciously.

"Because Mages do not lie. Besides, my name is in the history books, I am the first Mage born on Cocoon after all. And I know she can't die because my mother Saw it." Kai answered.

"Wait a minute." Vanille cut in. "Is your mother's name, by any chance, Tikal?"

"Yes…how did you know that?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's my older sister!" Vanille cried, tears forming in her eyes as well as Fang's, though the older woman tried to hide it.

"Wait, you're my Aunt Vanille?" Kai asked, "And you're Aunt Fang?"

"Yes, we are." Vanille nodded as a couple tears fell down her cheeks as she pulled both Fang and Kai into a group hug. They stood there for a minute before the three pulled apart, Vanille and Fang's eyes now dry.

"So we can trust this girl's word." Fang smiled, "Tikal was the most honest person there was."

"When will Rosa come back?" Hope asked, worried.

"Right about now." Kai smiled before she placed her hand on her heart and began to glow just as Rosalia did before she summoned the Shadow Mage. Kai floated into the air as the glow became brighter and she began to sing,

"_I was never right for the hero type of role ... I admit it  
With my heart shivering in fear  
I can see today's reflected in each past tear_

_Even so, it has been calling the heavens to me  
But I cannot hide all the emptiness inside my fleeting heart_

_Once in my dreams I rose and soared  
No matter how I'm knocked around or beaten down  
I will stand up, restored_

_All of my love has yet to wake  
I know your strength is what I lack  
You've got my back and know that I've got yours_

_I have you to thank for lighting up the dark  
Because you're here with me  
Our dreams will soar free forever_

_(I wanna always be with you ... I give you everything I have)"_

The party's eyes widened as the light faded with the song and Rosalia floated back down to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the ground, however, she began to fall. Hope raced forward and caught her around the waist.

"Rosa…" He whispered, his voice sounding close to tears.

"Hope…" Rosalia whispered back weakly. "My mom…I…I saw her, Hope…She…ex-explained ev-everything…to me."

"Save your strength, we'll talk later." Hope whispered as he slowly pulled away and casted Cure on the Mage. "And you're not fighting anymore."

"Al-alright." The Past Mage agreed, too weak to argue. Placing his arm around her waist, Hope led Rosalia back to the group and, reluctantly, allowed Sazh to give her a piggyback in order to not slow them down, though the man whined about how 'I'm too old for this.' As they went after Snow, Hope and Vanille alternated between casting Cure on the semi-conscious Rosalia, needing to save their strength.

* * *

_What my mother explained was what I had to do with my Semblance. She told me how to control and how, the first few times, I would be very weak after I used it. That was why she warned me to not use my Semblance again until I could freely move and sensed that it was necessary. With age, my tolerance towards my Semblance would improve and it has, which I'm very grateful for. If my Semblance now still put me on the edge of consciousness, I'd have nobody to turn to for help healing me. I got to know Kai and the other Mages better by using my Semblance because when their soul enters my body, my soul takes their place in Valhalla alongside Etro. Kai reminds me of an older sister, she's always looking out for people and she talks gently to those younger than her, which when I channel her is everybody, even if she does appear to be in her early 20s. She's also sassy though, especially during her Semblance. She says it makes her opponents open to more mistakes and attacks but I think that's just her._

* * *

They eventually found Snow and continued making their way through the Ark by fighting every monster that came after them, though Snow and Sazh alternated when carrying the still weak Rosalia. Now, though, as they reached a platform that led to a dead end, the Past Mage could stand on her own, though Hope had his hand on her at all times.

"Looks like it's a dead end." Hope stated as he looked around.

"How about down there?" Sazh suggested.

"If the stories are right, it's a maze." Vanille said.

"This place is a boot camp for l'Cie. All kinds of challenges from Gran Pulse are waiting." Fang stated.

"Challenges, huh? To get us all ready to go wipe out Cocoon?" Sazh asked.

"We can wait here if turning Cie'th sounds better." Fang suggested sarcastically.

"I have had enough of this! Where's the way out!?" Sazh cried in frustration.

"Way out? Who said there was one?" Snow spoke up. "Bring it on. My mind is made up. Maybe I will end up a Cie'th. But until that happens, I'm gonna make Serah proud. I couldn't bring myself to admit that this tear meant goodbye. And that's why I kept searching for her. But I didn't need to. Serah was here the whole time. Right here, watching over me."

"_Oh Snow…" _Serah said softly.

_Um, weren't you watching over Light too? _Rosalia thought to the crystallized girl.

"_Yeah…he just doesn't realize it, he's not thinking straight." _Serah excused.

_Or he's forgetting the fact that when it comes to love, love for a family member always comes first. _Rosalia argued.

Serah was silent after that.

"Now I get it. What this tear's been telling me is not to let our Focus win." Snow continued, "It's not the fal'Cie we should listen to. It's Serah, and Raines. Do you know why? Because our Focus doesn't matter! What matters to me is that we protect Cocoon, whatever it takes!"

_Okay, he may be a little self-centered when considering Serah only watching over him but he does have a point. _Rosalia thought.

"Same here." Vanille nodded before she walked up to Snow. "I'll help you do it." Snow held out his fist and Vanille put her hand on top.

"I'm in too. The fal'Cie messed up Propheta and Etro's plan to keep the people of this world safe and I'm gonna put it back on track." Rosalia smiled as she joined the two, her hand going on top of Vanille's. Hope put his hand on top of Rosalia's.

"Alright. I'm in." He smiled. Sazh's chocobo chick seemed to agree as well as it jumped on the four's stacked hands, earning laughs and a slight smile from Lightning.

"I mean, come on! When a chocobo agrees, you know you're on the right path!" Snow grinned.

"There you, go, that's right!" Sazh agreed.

"Well, count me out." Fang spoke up. Everyone in the party turned to her as she began to walk away. "If you all want to go it on your own…then so will I!" With that, the dark haired woman whipped around and held her spear, ready to attack.

"Hey, hey, now. Hey." Sazh said.

"Fang!" Hope and Rosalia cried, Hope holding an arm out to keep Rosalia behind him. Vanille gasped as she stared at her childhood friend in shock.

"Let Cocoon get what's coming." Fang said, "They hate us for being l'Cie. What's it to me if they die? Better that than watch a friend go Cie'th! If you don't have the nerve for it, I'll do it myself. Go on alone, get stronger and smash Cocoon out of the sky!"

"Fang?" Vanille cried when Fang suddenly fell to her knees.

"You turn Cie'th, and there's no coming back!" Fang cried. "I'm not…letting it end that way!" As she spoke, Fang's brand began to glow and she cried out in pain when the ground beneath her began to glow before it shot into the sky and an Eidolon flew out and all around the party.

"That's Bahamut." Rosalia whispered as she stared at the Eidolon. Vanille ran up to Fang in worry before both looked up at the sky.

"What's he doing here?" Fang asked. The rest of the party ran forward and surrounded the two. "Come to take pity on me? Come to take care of a broken l'Cie?"

"That thing's here to help us?" Snow asked, sounding doubtful.

"Yeah, 'help'." Fang said sarcastically. "That's what Eidolons do, they help us. Eidolons are our salvation. If we can't decide what to do next, they come put us out of our misery!"

"Wait, so you haven't made up your mind yet!" Snow said.

"Not important right now, Snow!" Rosalia cried, though Hope continued to hold her back. Just then, Bahamut charged up an attack and both Lightning and Snow stepped forward to protect Fang, redirecting the attack.

"Why are you protecting me? What are you doing?" Fang asked.

"Protecting one of our own. We can do without their brand of mercy." Lightning stated. "And we don't need a fal'Cie's orders, either. I'm fighting this Focus to the end. We all are. So please…fight with us." As she spoke, Lightning held her hand out to Fang to take. Fang looked around before she took the soldier's hand and stood up. She spun her spear around and cried,

"Ready when you are!"

"Rosa, stay back!" Hope instructed as the rest of the party went into battle.

"Don't worry, I will." Rosalia assured, rolling her eyes as she did so. Hope was so overprotective at times. However, Rosalia didn't dwell on that thought too long as she watched how the other six fought. When one was on the offense, someone else was on the defense. When one had an opening, someone else blocked it. When one finished an attack, someone else jumped in right away to help. And there she was, casting low level Cure spells to help in the only way she could. They really had come a long way since they were all brought together and branded by the fal'Cie.

* * *

Once Bahamut was defeated and gone, Fang looked at her brand when Vanille spoke up.

"Look! A new path." She pointed out. "Maybe that thing did save us."

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to call it a sign of me being right?" Snow asked.

"Not on your life." Rosalia waved off.

"No? Okay…" Snow trailed off as the rest of the party chuckled. "Listen. Keep our eyes on the goal and we'll figure something out!" As the hero spoke, Sazh and Lightning exchanged a look. "Alright!" With that, the party began to walk down the path.

"You okay?" Hope asked Rosalia as they walked.

"Yeah. I control my fate, remember? So, I've got nothing to be afraid of." Rosalia smiled causing Hope to return it.

"Now there's my Rosa." He said causing the Past Mage to blush. Once he realized what he said, Hope himself turned red as well. And the five adults all kept track of this, wondering who would win their bet, Lightning included. Of course, now they were also a little scared of what Rosalia and Hope would do when the bet came to light.

* * *

"Hey! Look at that!" Vanille cried as they reached the path's end.

"What?" Sazh asked. "An airship?"

"And it's from Gran Pulse!" Vanille added. "I guess it was one of this Ark's weapons or something."

"That's a gate to Gran Pulse." Fang pointed out.

"So, what, that's our exit? Pulse, or bust?" Sazh asked as the party all looked up at the gate.

"Could be one of Dysley's traps." Lightning stated.

"Well that's not good. Do you think it might take us to Eden?" Vanille asked. Sazh shook his head as he walked forward towards the airship.

"I'm doing the flying. No more of these ships taking charge of our travel plans stuff." He said.

"Like we even ever have a plan of where we travel to." Rosalia countered.

"Only place this thing is taking us is where these boys tell it to." Sazh finished, shooting the Past Mage a look as he did so.

"Ha! Really? _That _is a Gran Pulse ship." Fang said.

"Really?" Sazh repeated. "Leave it to me." Then he started coughing and hacking as Fang, Vanille, Hope and Rosalia laughed while he said he was okay.

"Either way, we're on borrowed time." Snow said as he walked forward. "Might as well go. We get lucky, maybe we'll even turn up some way to get rid of these goofy tattoos."

"But there's no way to do that." Vanille protested. Fang placed a hand on Vanille's head as Rosalia stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

"You never know. Maybe we just didn't think to look for one." Fang said.

"Don't lose all hope yet." Rosalia added.

"If nothing else, we know Cocoon is safe for the time being." Hope said, "I'd say it's worth going to take a look."

"Maybe. But what about your dad?" Lightning asked.

"I made him a promise. I promised him to keep going, do what I had to do and protect Rosa. He said only I would know what it was." Hope said, "The world's full of lies. There's no way of knowing what's right. All we can do is believe in ourselves. It's easy to sit back and let people trick you. Like how the Sanctum had us all think that a l'Cie was some kind of monster. I'm done with their lies. Fal'Cie, this whole Focus thing. From here on out I use my eyes. Think. And act." Lightning smiled slightly while Rosalia grinned and hugged Hope tightly.

"You've really changed, I'm so proud and I know your mom and dad are too." She whispered.

"You've changed too and I know your parents are as proud as you as I am." Hope whispered back before they pulled apart. "I might not make all the right choices. But as long as I'm the one who decided what to do, there's nothing to regret."

"Okay." Lightning agreed. Sazh stepped forward towards Hope.

"Alright. Let's do it! I'm with you, bad choices and all!" He agreed as he gave the boy a shake.

"Of course I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out. Pulse is hell, you know." Hope reminded.

"Oh no." Rosalia whispered as Fang stepped forward.

"Oh, is it, now? How many times have you been there?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"None. But I want to go and see what it's like for myself." Hope said with a smile.

"Me too, I wanna see where I come from." Rosalia added as she took Hope's hand in hers.

"Okay, people!" Snow called out. He tossed Serah's tear in the air and caught it before he turned and pointed at the party. "So, everybody in?"

"Absolutely." Sazh called as they all nodded their agreement.

"Off to hell we go." Lightning added.

"Light, was that…a _joke _you just made?" Rosalia gasped overdramatically causing the soldier to nudge her as she laughed. With that said, the party made their way into the airship.

* * *

_I didn't know what would happen next, nor how this entire journey of ours would end. But I knew one thing that I still know now: as long as I have my family with me, everything will be alright. In fact, I think that Ark is what convinced me that those people I was suddenly thrown into a mess too all that time ago had truly become my family as much as my parents and Hope's parents are._

* * *

**There's the chapter! Sorry for taking so long, I've really wanted to update this story but these chapters take so long to write, I haven't had the time to do it. This chapter alone took me two hours on Friday, like six hours on Saturday and like a half hour today. But I did it and I'm proud! Okay, thanks to FayValentine123 (Thanks, I'm glad!), (Oh, that makes me happy! Thanks!), Guest (You'll find out soon, I hope.), Xyzantylzethyrioses (Yep, I knew from the beginning that 13-2 and LR were gonna be used. Whenever I think about this story, I come up with all these new ideas for those games and I'm really excited for it. I took your advice and changed the title, though it won't just be used in reference to Rosalia. One time will it reference another character. Let's see if you can get it. Don't worry, this is always a thought. Yeah, I hope I did better with the two battle scenes this time. Let me know, please, your honesty is great.) ChaosDancer12 (You always help me! Also, I hope I wrote Kai correctly, let me know.), CatLoverx33 (Ha, I'm glad.), RedLovesBlack, Rihimesama, Vyletta Fae, hatterlymad, AriaLuminer, Lost in Reality's Mirror, Dorisangel, Brooke Vengence, Tempestae Night and Dancing to your Heartbeat for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 2,489 readers! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter cause this has a moment that I've been really excited to do for a long time. Though the next chapter probably wins with my favorite moment of this game. Okay, so Kai belongs to ChaosDancer12, the song Kai sings before she appears, Senbon Zakura, those lyrics belong to kran * on YouTube and the song Rosalia sings before she comes back, Crossing Field, those lyrics belong to LeeandLie on YouTube. That's everything I think. Please leave a review to let me know what you think! Later!**


	9. Chapter 9:A Wild World

The airship rattled as it flew from Cocoon to Gran Pulse, Sazh grunting as he flew it. Finally, they broke through the atmosphere and the party stared in awe at Gran Pulse for the first time.

"You did it!" Vanille grinned at Sazh. Rosalia unconsciously touched her wrist, right over Etro's symbol, her brand as the Mage.

"Yeah! Told you, didn't I?" Sazh bragged. Suddenly, a beast flew along the ship's side, causing Hope, Rosalia and Vanille to cry out.

"Playful little critter, isn't he?" Fang asked.

"Yeah, well play with someone else." Lightning stated.

"Agreed." Rosalia whispered as her fingers rubbed her brand.

"Happens all the time." Vanille giggled.

"I hope it doesn't happen to us again." Hope whispered to Rosalia, earning a smile from her.

"He thinks we're lunch." Fang commented as the beast came near them again.

"Yeah, like a l'Cie buffet." Sazh stated sarcastically.

"Not helpful, Sazh." Rosalia snapped.

"Don't worry, Rosa! You're the Mage, you'll be alright!" Vanille grinned brightly at the Past Mage.

"'Cie-food'. Cute." Lightning stated as they watched the beast.

"Guys, here it comes!" Hope cried as the beast attacked the ship. It broke the glass surrounding the cockpit and Hope, Vanille and Rosalia went flying. Hope grabbed Rosalia's hand while Vanille grabbed Hope's as well as the ship. However, her grip loosened and the three went falling.

"You okay?" Vanille cried over the wind as they fell.

"Oh yeah! I'm great!" Hope cried sarcastically.

"Here's our ride!" Rosalia cried as her voice became a mix of two and her eyes flashed blue green. Vanille's eyes widened as she recognized the voice when Bahamut flew past with the rest of their party hanging on.

"Grab on!" Fang yelled and the three cried out as they were forced onto Bahamut, Rosalia's eyes once again gray with blue specks. As Bahamut began to level off, the party took the chance to look around. "Home sweet home. Welcome to Gran Pulse." Fang smiled. The party was in awe, Rosalia especially as her hand once again found her Mage brand.

* * *

_Gran Pulse was like nothing I'd ever seen. It was wild, terrifying and amazing all at once. The only law they lived by was survival of the fittest; the strong survived and the weak fell. But that is a part of what made it so beautiful, I suppose._

* * *

When they landed, the party split up. Rosalia and Hope went to collect fruit to eat with Sazh's chocobo joining them. As they collected fruit, Rosalia gazed at the horizon, allowing a peaceful smile to spread across her face. Suddenly, she began to dance slightly, allowing a familiar song to slip through her lips.

_"__Even though the blossoms fade and fall,_

_Colorful their petals graced the town."_

Hope looked up from the fruit he held and began to watch as Rosalia continued to dance, almost entranced as his eyes followed her.

_"__And so now the final time was here,_

_As the winds told me softly in my ear._

_Since I know the seasons will return,_

_In my heart I do not need concern_

_The moon that had traced that darkened night,_

_Kindly shone on the world its silver light."_

Rosalia turned to Hope and held her hand out, gesturing for him to join her. Smiling slightly, Hope took her hand in his own and the two began their version of a dance that crossed a classic folk dance and a waltz, both of which they had learned from his mother and her father as well as the song Rosalia was currently singing, curtesy of his mother.

_"__Always the people continue to let the same…_

_Tears of pain fall like the rain._

_But if we don't lose it all, then we won't find it again."_

As they reached the chorus and began to dance the waltz part, Rosalia whispered,

"Sing this with me." Hope nodded and the two began to sing together.

_"__If it just was that one wish came true, I'd want to say goodbye_

_To the old me I used to be yesterday._

_If I found there are desires that will never change or fade, _

_They'd be found in sakura tree's glade."_

Hope spun the Past Mage away and allowed her to sing alone as he ran towards her, held her tightly around the waist and lifted her into the air, a move they had only been able to do for a year now. As he lowered her to the ground, they began to dance in a more relaxed, folk style way, keeping the same choreography as the waltz part.

_"__So the promises I made that day_

_Won't begin to fail and fade away,_

_I traced with my fingers, morning's light_

_Shining gold, gleaming softly in my sight_

_Since I know that time that has passed once before…_

_Won't return to me in the new day_

_Without hesitation, I will set out in my own way"_

Hope pulled her close as they began to waltz again, his forehead softly touching hers as they went through the steps, both smiling widely. Rosalia spun out before she spun right back into his arms and they continued to dance. The second she opened her mouth to ask if he would sing, the boy shook his head and so she continued alone.

_"__So that all of my important prayers may make their way to you,_

_I'll go and keep my voice singing today too._

_'__There are surely all the answers that you searched for there to see'_

_I was told as the wind whispered to me."_

As she began to regain her breath, she spun away from him and jumped in the air, her sash flying around her like a skirt. Hope caught her as she fell to the ground. As Rosalia landed in his arms, he spun them both around before he slowly put her down and she stepped forward, placing her hands on her heart as she began to sing again.

_"__If it just was that one wish came true, I'd want to give to you_

_The gift I failed to give to you on that day_

_If there really are desires that will never change or fade,_

_They'd be found in sakura tree's glade"_

Turning back to him quickly, she ran towards him, grabbed his hands and the two continued their dance, smiling brightly.

_"__So that all of my important prayers may make their way to you,_

_I'll go and keep my voice singing today too._

_'__There are surely all the answers that you searched for there to see'_

_I was told as the wind whispered to me._

_Softly, to reset all the sadness."_

As Rosalia held out the last line, Hope dipped her so her head hung towards the ground before he lifted her up again.

"That was great!" She grinned, her eyes bright in exuberance. Hope grinned back at her when his eyes darted to her lips before returning to her eyes. Slowly, Rosalia's eyes drifted to his lips and they both began to lean in when suddenly, Hope cried out. "Hope!" She cried as he released her and grabbed his arm, over his brand. Rosalia had no idea what to do when Hope fell to the ground, unconscious. "Hope! Hope!" She cried as she knelt beside and began to shake him desperately. Realizing he wasn't waking up, she turned to the chocobo and yelled, "Go find the others! Get help!" The chocobo nodded before it flew away hurriedly. Rosalia adjusted Hope so he was lying on his back, his head in her lap.

She ran her hands through his hair and began to hum the song she just finished singing, remembering the first time she heard it.

* * *

"Softly, to reset all the sadness."

_Young Rosalia and Hope clapped happily as Jacob lifted Nora from the dip he had her in. The adults bowed, grinning at their children and each other._

_"__That was so cool!" Rosalia grinned, clasping her hands in her five year old way._

_"__Where'd you learn that song?" Hope asked his mother._

_"__It was a song my mother taught me." Nora answered as she sat beside her son, Jacob following by sitting beside his daughter._

_"__Can you teach me?" Rosalia asked excitedly. "And teach Hope and I that dance?!"_

_"__If you both want to." Jacob agreed._

_"__No! Dancing's for girls!" Hope whined._

_"__But _Hoooopppe!_" Rosalia whined, "I really wanna learn to dance!"_

_"__That doesn't mean you need me!" Hope argued._

_"__It's a do…do-it…no, uh…" Rosalia said._

_"__Duet." Jacob supplied._

_"__Yes! Duet! _Please Hope_!" Rosalia begged, "For me?" She gave him her best puppy dog eyes. Hope stared at her, trying to resist before he gave up and groaned._

_"__Fine!" He agreed with a huff. Rosalia cheered and hugged Hope tightly, repeating 'thank you' over and over again. Nora and Jacob smiled before they shared a look._

_"__Remember when I did that to you?" Nora asked with a grin and a sparkle in her eyes._

_"__How could I forget? _That's _how we became best friends." Jacob grinned as he punched Nora's shoulder lightly, causing the silver haired woman to laugh. "Now let's see where these two end up." Jacob whispered to himself as he stood up and the adults began the dance lesson._

_I don't know why that memory came, but I do know that, at that moment, the fear of losing Hope, of losing the person I care for most in the world, was very, _very _real. And that scared me more than anything else, even when the others arrived._

* * *

"Hope! Rosa!" Rosalia's head shot up and she waved as Snow led the party over to them. The entire party surrounded the two teenagers, looking at the teary eyed Mage and the unconscious boy in worry.

"What…do we do?" She whispered, hoarse as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

* * *

Later, Hope was lying on a padded supply they found, his head on Rosalia's lap, while the others sat around a fire they started when the sun set, all staring worriedly at the boy.

"So this is how it ends?" Snow asked, frustrated.

"Just wait. Now how long has it been since we left Cocoon? Hm?" Sazh said. "Not a single soul for miles around. Not a single clue about this whole l'Cie mess! What I'm saying is, we did well just getting this far."

"But…we could go a little further." Vanille spoke up as she stepped forward.

"Meaning?" Sazh questioned.

"There's still one place…" Vanille said.

"Vanille!" Fang cut her off. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Vanille nodded. Rosalia looked up at her ancestor, her hands still playing with Hope's silver hair.

"You know, if we don't find anything this time, we won't get another chance." Lightning commented.

"Oerba-the place where it all began." Hope suddenly spoke up. Rosalia gasped as fresh tears sprung to her eyes as Hope opened his eyes and the rest of the party surrounded the teenagers. "The place where the Pulse fal'Cie lay dreaming." As he spoke, Hope raised one of his hands toward the star filled sky. "Vanille and Fang's home. Just maybe…it will be the place where we find the answers we're looking for."

"Yeah, right. If we can get there." Fang said.

"Go ahead without me." Hope said with a humorless smile.

"_WHAT?!_" Rosalia practically screamed. Hope started to sit up and both Vanille and Rosalia supported him.

"We can't just leave you!" Vanille protested.

"Stop being an idiot, we aren't leaving you!" Rosalia added, looking as if she would scream at Hope at any moment if he kept insisting he'd stay back.

"I'll be fine." Hope assured. "You've all taught me so much-showed me how to fight." As he spoke, Hope began to stand up on his own, though he was unsteady. He tried to step forward but he fell forward instead, still in pain. Snow caught the boy and helped him stand again, Rosalia by his side in an instant as she grabbed his arm to keep him up, though her grip was tighter than necessary.

"What did I tell you? Leave the fighting to me." Snow argued as he held Hope's head to his chest.

"I'm scared." Hope admitted.

"We understand. You're not gonna go through this ordeal alone, you know." Lightning said as she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. She reached out and lifted Hope's chin, smiling at him.

"We're all scared, you know, and we're all with you, until the end." Rosalia whispered as her hands slid down to intertwine her hand with Hope's.

"But that's what scares me! I don't…I don't want to see you get hurt because of me." Hope cried. He released Rosalia's hand and covered his face instead. "It would be better for everyone if I just stayed behind." Before anyone could say anything, Hope began to glow, forcing the party back with only Rosalia staring at it head on. Hope cried out in pain as his brand glowed brighter and brighter until four beams of light shot into the air. Suddenly, a huge Eidolon fell to the ground.

"Alexander…" Rosalia whispered when she was suddenly pushed back. She tried to get up, tried to help, but she couldn't. It was like some kind of magic was pushing her back. _No! I have to help Hope! Let me go!_

_"__Hope needs to face this alone." _ A voice whispered in Rosalia's mind. Rosalia gasped as she recognized it as her mother's. _"I can't let you go until he does."_

"Rosa!" Vanille cried and she crawled over to try and help the girl up but Elena's power didn't relinquish. Vanille pulled as hard as she could but nothing happened. "Snow! Sazh! Help me!" The pilot and the hero joined the redhead as all three tried to get Rosalia up but her mother's spirit still didn't release her. She wasn't released until Alexander became a fortress and Hope climbed on him before the Eidolon vanished, leaving Hope staring at his brand in awe.

"That's some beast you tamed, I'll tell you that." Sazh commented as Rosalia was finally released from her mother's power and the four who had been shot back rejoined the party.

"Yeah." Hope nodded in agreement as a smile slowly spread across his face. "I always thought the Eidolons appeared to set us free through death. But now…I think maybe they're here to snap us out of our slumps."

"Oh. Like the one you were just in?" Snow teased as he placed a hand on Hope's shoulder.

"I'll ask for help earlier next time around." Hope stated with a slight laugh. Rosalia was silent, her arms crossed tightly as she glared at the ground. Vanille ran forward and hugged Hope tightly.

"I told you. On Gran Pulse, we're all family." She said. "You can moan all you like, but you're stuck with us."

"You're never alone in hell." Sazh joked as he waved a finger back and forth.

"Listen, funnyman, don't call this place hell, alright?" Fang threatened.

"So, we're all decided then?" Lightning asked. The entire party showed their agreement, whether they voiced it or they nodded. "Alright then." Lightning nodded. As soon as the soldier stopped talking, the Mage marched forward, grabbed the boy's wrist and marched into a secluded part of the forest. As soon as they were alone, Rosalia whirled around on Hope.

"What is the matter with you?!" She screamed.

"Huh?" Hope asked, confused.

"How could you be so idiotic as to think we'd leave you? How could you be so idiotic as to think you're the only one who's scared here?! HOW COULD YOU BE SO IDIOTIC AS TO THINK YOU DON'T MATTER?!" Rosalia screamed. "YOU DO MATTER HOPE AND DON'T YOU DARE SUGGEST ANYTHING LIKE YOU JUST DID EVER AGAIN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE I HAVE LEFT!" Suddenly, it was as if she just realized what her words meant. "You're one of the few people I have left…Oh Etro, Hope, I can't lose you!" With those words, Rosalia broke down into tears, sobbing as Hope's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to him so her face rested in the crook of his neck.

"You won't lose me, I promise." Hope whispered.

"But that's w-what…what D-dad promised…" Rosalia managed between her sobs. "I-I can't l-lose…you too…I care too much for you…I care for you more than I've ever cared for anyone…"

"I care about you too, Rosa…" Hope whispered, "I think…someday, I might be in love with you, or I already am…" Rosalia lifted her face from his neck and Hope wiped away her stray tears with his thumb as he cupped her cheek. Slowly, the boy leaned in so as not to frighten her. But the Mage instead met him in the middle as their lips touched for the first time.

The kiss was a simple one but it felt like so much more. Rosalia felt like she was flying and falling at the same time as warmth spread throughout her body. Sparks shot up her spine as Hope's fingers tangled in her hair for a moment before they returned to clutching at her waist, pulling her impossibly closer to him than she already was. She brought her arms up so they wrapped around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair before she slowly pulled away, resting her forehead against his.

"I think I might be in love with you too, or will be someday." Rosalia whispered as she allowed a soft smile when she opened her eyes. Hope smiled back at her, his eyes sparkling in a way she had never seen before but she just knew her eyes had the same sparkle. However, then she punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" Hope cried.

"Never tell us to leave you behind again. Got it?" Rosalia said.

"Got it." Hope smiled as he took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, causing her to blush even as she smiled before they returned to find their party setting up camp. Vanille spotted them first and squealed as she saw the intertwined hands and red cheeks.

"You kissed, didn't you?" Vanille asked excitedly. The teens only turned redder, causing the redhead to squeal even louder. Fang grinned as she took a list out and looked it over.

"Well, would you look at that." The dark haired woman grinned. "I won! Hand over the money losers." Begrudgingly, Lightning, Snow, Sazh and Vanille all handed gil over to Fang, who eagerly counted the money.

"You _bet _on our relationship?!" Rosalia cried in shock as Hope gaped at the party.

"That's right!" Fang grinned as she waved the money in the air.

"You couldn't have waited a couple more days?" Snow pouted.

"Quit pouting or when this is all over, I'll blackmail you." Lightning threatened.

"How?" Snow questioned, crossing his arms.

"I'll embarrass you in front of NORA and Serah." Lightning smirked. Snow's face dropped at that before the two began to bicker playfully.

"So, who wants to place the first bet on those two?" Fang whispered as the rest of the party gathered together, Rosalia still seething.

"Try the next life." Hope joked before he turned to Rosalia, trying to coax her out of her anger. The silver haired boy failed to notice as Fang wrote his joke down as a bet.

* * *

_You never know what the future will bring, that is something I know for sure. You also never know how your actions effect the future. But that's alright because it's the past we learn from, the past that makes us who we are, not our future._

* * *

**Kai gasped as she watched everything Rosalia was seeing before she ran to a Mage with long blonde hair that, when not in her usual high pony tail, reached her lower back and purple eyes. She wore a purple blouse with sparkles, ripped blue jeans, black heeled boots and a flower charm necklace. Her pale white skin was marred only by a scar on her right cheek.**

**"****Lilac! Lilac!" Kai cried excitedly as she ran over to her descendant.**

**"****Whoa, Kai, calm down." Lilac laughed as she grabbed the girl's arms to slow her down. "What's going on?"**

**"****You remember how I told you your granddaughter might have found the one for her at 14?!" Kai gasped excitedly.**

**"****Yes…" Lilac nodded even as she herself grew more excited.**

**"****Well, she did! She kissed that boy, Hope, and her Mage brand glowed! She didn't notice it but it did! Rosalia found the one!" Kai squealed. Lilac gasped before she covered her mouth with her hands to quiet her cries of joy.**

**"What is going on here?" The Shadow Mage and the Manipulation Mage turned to see another Mage approach them. This Mage had bluish purple eyes, with a bored yet confident gaze. Her electric blue hair, which ended at her shoulder blades, had several tiny braids interspersed with her unbraided, slightly wavy hair. The incredibly long bangs were swept over her right eye and woven across to her left shoulder, where the clump formed one slowly spiraling curl. She wore a long black hooded cloak, though the hood was currently down, showing pointed facial features. She was one of the shortest of them, well under five feet tall, and had a teenager's build, but her presence was certainly not to be dismissed despite her stature.**

**"****Oh, Ayxzs! I learned something great! Rosalia found her 'one'!" Kai exclaimed excitedly.**

**"Good." Ayxzs said in a monotone voice, her features not changing at all. "I am sure her wedding shall be as unnecessarily extravagant as the rest."**

**"****And this time we all get to actually see it!" Lilac added in her excitement. Neither was put off by the Abyss Mage's emotionless tone, having been used to it for years. "I should go tell my daughter, she'll be so thrilled!"**

**"****I'll go tell everyone else! Oh this is so exciting!" Kai squealed.**

**"I do not understand why they must waste their energies on such an intangible desire. Love. Not even their own..." Ayxzs commented to herself.**

**"****That's because you've only experienced it once." Ayxzs turned to see a Mage with pale green hair and gold eyes approaching her. Her hair was only shoulder length and had a hair clip made of rainbow colored feathers holding her left side bangs back. She wore a silver halter top that had green lining, an ankle length skirt that appeared to be made from dark green feathers and no shoes.**

**"****Fenna." Ayxzs nodded in acknowledgement of her ancestor. The Storm Mage stepped towards the Abyss Mage in order to explain better.**

**"****Do you remember when you fell in love with Caleb?" Fenna questioned. Ayxzs nodded as she remembered the soldier her brother, Zyxas, had introduced her to. Caleb had been representing the new Guardian Corps at a meeting where Zyxas was representing PSICOM. "Do you remember that brief feeling, the only one you've ever felt?"**

**"Vaguely." Ayxzs shrugged. "It is true that love does not make much sense to me, but there was some deep stirring, something quite powerful, for a few moments then." She paused a second before adding, "I did act quite irrationally pursuing him like that. It is much like what I recall of your stories, too..."**

**"****Then you know how Rosalia must feel." Fenna said, "Along with that, she is only 14, the youngest Mage to ever find the 'one'. That is a feeling you only feel once, that you only feel with that person. That is why we are all so happy for Rosalia because she has the rest of her life to be with Hope."**

**"****Her journey won't be without struggle." Ayxzs said, her voice still monotone as always.**

**"****And ****_that _****is what will make it all worth it." Fenna said wisely.**

* * *

_We made camp that night and set out the next morning. We were going to Oerba, the hometown of Vanille, Fang and Tikal. It was the only lead we had in that wild world and we took what we could get. _

* * *

Hope and Rosalia led the party as they reached the Archylte Steep, their hands firmly intertwined.

"Let's go!" Hope grinned as the party walked into the field. As they walked past a stone, Vanille paused.

"This stone, it's-" She started.

"Look familiar?" Lightning questioned.

"It's a kind of Cie'th. It's in the last stage." Fang explained.

"A Cie'th?" Lightning repeated.

"Don't worry. It's no threat to anyone anymore." Vanille said, "L'Cie that fail their Focus become Cie'th and wander the wilds. Eventually, they lose the will to go on and turn to stone. But still, even in this state, they can't forget the task they once had."

"And they call out to l'Cie, over and over: 'Complete my Focus.'" Fang added.

"So they're doomed to eternal regret, huh? That's pretty horrible." Sazh commented.

"Hey, we should help this one out. Come on, we can't just ignore it." Snow argued. "Listen, if we fail our Focus, it could be us suffering like that."

_If things were different…that could've been Mom…_

"Wow, what a happy thought. That's not like you." Sazh said sarcastically.

"But going out of his way to help someone? That's Snow all over." Lightning stated and every member of the group, but Snow, caught the small smile on her lips.

* * *

The group had made their way across the Steep, fighting Cie'th and fulfilling Focuses as they did before they reached the Mah'habara Subterra.

"A Gran Pulse fal'Cie made this path." Fang explained as they walked.

"Yep. I bet it's off digging more tunnels right now." Vanille grinned as she walked.

"They do this often?" Rosalia asked, curiously.

"Yep, all the time." Vanille nodded, "Tikal actually memorized the pattern of when they made tunnels through Oerba and when they came nearby. She helped us avoid any trouble."

"Protective, that one." Fang shook her head with a small smile as a faraway look entered her eyes as she remembered her other best friend.

"They seem different from all the fal'Cie we've seen on Cocoon, you know?" Hope commented, changing the topic. "It's like they just plow through, without caring what happens around them."

"That's true." Fang nodded. "Then again, we were able to build our village on land cleared by fal'Cie. We lived alongside them, just like you do on Cocoon."

"Oh yeah, this is _just _like Cocoon!" Sazh stated, sarcasm dripping off every word.

"In a world this big, who knows what we'll find?" Lightning asked, crossing her arms thoughtfully.

"We can handle it!" Rosalia spoke up causing everyone to look at her. "Look, this world may be big but if we focus and do what we have to do, we can do it because where one of us falls, the other flies. We can do this!"

"Well look whose Ms. Optimistic." Snow teased.

"Shut up." Rosalia shot back, looking away as she crossed her arms. Snow simply laughed while Hope squeezed her shoulder, though he didn't bother to hide his smile, causing Rosalia to grumble under her breath.

* * *

The party walked through the Subterra when the ground began to shake and they all braced themselves.

"Well guys, heads up!" Snow cried.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious!" Rosalia snapped sarcastically.

"You're spending too much time with Sazh." Lightning stated offhandedly. Just then, a fal'Cie rolled by.

"Whoa. Look at that thing." Snow pointed. "Let me guess. That's a fal'Cie?"

"Yep, busy carving out new tunnels." Vanille confirmed with a smile as she played with one of her beaded necklaces.

"Making roads where roads ain't meant to go, huh? Kinda sounds like us." Snow grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

"Of course _he'd _make that comparison." Sazh whispered to the teenagers causing them to chuckle under their breath.

"Alright! Roly-poly! Let's hitch a ride on that thing." Snow suggested.

"Now you're thinking Gran Pulse style!" Vanille grinned as she clapped her hands excitedly.

"Let's save the risks for another day. How about when we've got these marks off?" Fang suggested.

"I'll hold you to that!" Snow swore as he pointed at the dark haired woman.

"I have no doubt about that." Fang smiled.

"Leave me out of it! I'm too old for fal'Cie riding!" Sazh cried, holding his arms up in surrender.

"Oh no, mister." Vanille said as she wagged a finger in Sazh's face. "If Fang and Snow do it, then we all have to! That's the Gran Pulse family way!"

"Really?" Sazh, Lightning and Hope all questioned in unison.

"Well, in my family, at least." Vanille grinned, "My mom fell in love with my dad because he stepped out of his comfort zone for her and did all sorts of stunts."

"He was lucky she was the Mage, otherwise he'd have broken more than a few bones." Fang commented with a smirk as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Tikal, however, only did all the daredevil stuff to keep an eye on my dad and me, and heal us of course! She was really overprotective and never let me out of her sight." Vanille added as her eyes took on a faraway look and her smile became sadder. Fang placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder and squeezed tightly.

"That's because she was terrified that something would happen to you and she wouldn't be able to do anything to help. She didn't want to lose you." The dark haired woman explained. Vanille's smile remained sad as she leaned into Fang's embrace, the two taking comfort in each other at their shared loss. Fang's eyes then met the silent Rosalia's only to find her eyes a blue green color and her hair having streaks of red as she stared at the embracing women with a deeply apologizing look.

Then Snow cleared his throat and the moment was gone as Rosalia came back to herself and the Gran Pulse women pulled apart.

"Well, let's keep going!" The hero grinned.

* * *

The party continued on until they reached the Subterra's exit where they decided to make camp.

"We're gonna go look ahead." Fang said before she and Vanille walked off as the rest of the party set up camp.

* * *

_When Fang and Vanille came back, they said nothing of their scouting other than the fact that we were closer to Oerba. But we all noticed Vanille's red eyes and we were all reasonably worried. We questioned her mercilessly but all Vanille answered was,_

* * *

"I'm okay now, don't worry."

* * *

_That did nothing to ease the worry so we questioned Fang instead. All Fang said, however, was,_

* * *

"Vanille and I talked and worked some things out. We're alright, don't worry."

* * *

_The collected worry lessened at those words but it didn't quite fade away. We accepted that they were okay but we all still kept an eye on them, just in case. Sazh especially kept an eye on them, being our party's dad and the biggest worrywart I've ever met. That night, however, I wasn't focused on either Vanille or Fang as I stayed up late, unable to sleep._

* * *

Rosalia sat on a log and stared up at the stars when, once again, she heard it.

_"__Nothing left to fear l'Cie"_

She strained to listen for more but the voice was too far away and she only seemed to be able to pick out those words.

"You okay?" The Mage looked up to see Lightning sitting beside her.

"Yeah…just hearing things." Rosalia admitted as she played with her ribbon, which was still tied tightly around her left wrist.

"What kind of things?" Lightning asked, sounding concerned.

"It's…a song, I think. I don't know." Rosalia shrugged. "I just keep hearing this one line, like…whoever's singing is calling to me. I…I don't know what to think."

"…I think you should do whatever you think is best." Lightning finally advised. "If you do that, then you'll be fine."

"Thanks Light. How'd you come up with that?" The Mage asked.

"…It's what I should have told Serah when she told me she was a l'Cie." The soldier answered. "I pushed her away so I could take care of her and look what happened. When she needed me the most, when she needed that advice the most, I didn't give it to her. All I did was push her further away and look where it's led the both of us. Sometimes…sometimes I wonder if she hates me."

_"__I could never hate her!" _Serah shouted in Rosalia's mind. But the Mage already knew that as she spoke during the same instant.

"She could never hate you, Serah loved you and she always will love you above anything and everything else!" Rosalia said passionately.

"Heh, thanks Rosa." Lightning nodded with the slightest smile as she nudged the Mage's shoulder. "Now get some sleep, okay?"

"I'll try." Rosalia chuckled. "Night Light."

"Night."

* * *

_The next morning, we were all up as the sun rose and off again as soon as we finished eating whatever we could find for breakfast. And yet, none of us complained, we just enjoyed each other's presence and, for a few brief minutes, forgot that either we could die or end the world in just days from that morning._

* * *

The party ended up making their way through more tunnels when they came to a standstill.

"No way through." Sazh noted. "Man, that fal'Cie must have been slacking." Suddenly, they heard Hope scream and turned to see him operating _another robot_!

"Wait! Stop already!" Hope yelled at the robot.

"It's the Vile Peaks all over again." Lightning sighed in frustration.

"Hope! Are you an idiot?!" Rosalia screamed, her fists clenched in frustration and anger.

"At least her personality towards Hope didn't change when they got together." Sazh whispered to Snow even as they look at Hope in exasperation. Just then, the robot reached the edge and Hope fell. Quickly, Rosalia and Lightning ran over to the ledge above where he landed.

"Hope! Get out of there!" Lightning cried. Rosalia began to glow and floated into the air, her hands rising to cover her heart as she began to sing, her voice blending into another's.

_"__Let go of all of your fears!_

_This time in our hands will disappear!_

_It is our last chance and_

_It's so real!_

_Now reach out to the sky!_

_And grab hold of tomorrow_

_It is yours_

_We will win this_

_Of that I am sure!_

_See for yourself_

_See it all!_

_As the light _

_That brightens up the dark_

_Reaches out to your heart!"_

Hope, by that point, had stood up and he had nowhere to go as a fal'Cie raced towards him. He covered his face with his arms in fear when the robot he fell off of jumped down in front of the fal'Cie.

"Is he trying to stop it?" Hope asked as he watched the robot. "You can do it!"

"Not alone!" A voice cried and Hope watched as a girl wearing the Mage's robe jumped down and held her arms out. "Semblance Manipulation!" Suddenly, vines of all sorts shot out of the ground and wrapped around the fal'Cie, trying to halt it. The Mage grunted under the pressure as she pushed more vines out of the sides of the tunnel and through the ground, trying to stop the fal'Cie. As if sensing the need for aide, more robots came down and began to assist each other.

"What are they doing?" Lightning questioned as she watched, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Come on!" The Mage cried as she and the robots gave one final effort and the fal'Cie stopped. "Thank Etro…" She sighed as she slumped forward slightly.

"Well that was cool. Go robot guys and Rosa!" Snow cried as he pumped his fist in the air.

"Good lesson for us." Sazh said, "Not even a mighty fal'Cie is a match for the power of teamwork."

"Kinda cheesy there, Sazh." The Mage grinned as she and Hope got up.

"Still, that is inspiration right there." Sazh added, shooting the still unnamed Mage a glare.

"How do you know his name?" Hope questioned.

"I've been watching from the beginning." The Mage answered as she finally faced the party. She had long blonde hair that, when not in her usual high pony tail, reached her lower back and purple eyes. She wore a purple blouse with sparkles, ripped blue jeans, black heeled boots and a flower charm necklace. Her pale white skin was marred only by a scar on her right cheek. "I am Lilac Propheta, Mage of Cocoon." As she spoke, the Mage, Lilac, bowed with her right hand placed over her heart. When she straightened, she grinned, "Specifically, I am Rosalia's grandmother."

"You're her grandmother?!" Hope and Snow cried in unison. The Manipulation Mage, who only appeared to be in her late 20s at least, at most her early 30s, nodded with a smile.

"Yes. Her mother, Elena, is my daughter. I've seen most of what has happened so far so that is how I know who all of you are." Lilac explained before her eyes landed on Hope. "And I know how _close _you are to Rosalia. I promise you, if you break her heart, _every Mage that has ever been_ will come back just to hurt you. Understand?" The boy gulped in fear at the dead seriousness in her eyes.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Hope nodded furiously.

"Save the threats, Lady Lilac. Let's hop on Trailblazer here, while we still have the chance." Fang said.

"_Lady _Lilac?" Snow questioned.

"Yeah, every Mage is _supposed _to be referred to as Lady on Gran Pulse, as a term of respect, unless you are their family or close enough to be family. I fell into that category with both Tikal, Ro and Zyzantlyia, Vanille and Tikal's mother. With all the others, I don't." Fang explained.

"I, on the other hand, can call all Mages by their first name because I am a direct ancestor and descendant for all Mages." Vanille added. "Now let's get on!" Reluctantly, for everyone but Fang, Vanille and Snow, the party climbed on Trailblazer.

"Why are you not leaving yet?" Hope asked the Manipulation Mage.

"Because if I stay for a while, there's less of a chance of Rosalia fainting when she returns. It's a theory Elena and I are trying out." Lilac explained calmly. "Don't worry, Rosalia is safe."

* * *

_Despite what Grandmother said, I wasn't entirely safe. As soon as I appeared, I was bombarded by Kai and Zyzantlyia along with many other Mages, including my mother, but mostly them. They wouldn't leave me alone about Hope, considering Kai easily told _everyone _how he is my 'one', apparently with Grandmother's help. It was certainly annoying that all of my ancestors knew exactly what happened in my life and had the _chance _to bug me about it. And yet…it makes me smile because it reminds me that I still have a family and I always will have one, whether I can see them or not._

* * *

Once the party reached an exit that overlooked Cocoon, they decided to make camp. Once they were all set up, Hope spoke up.

"Did anybody see where Snow went?" He asked.

"I'll go look for him!" Vanille offered before she bounded off. With that, the party fell silent until Fang walked towards Lilac.

"So, Lady Lilac, how long do you plan to stick around?" She asked, curious.

"Elena and I thought we should try one day, since Rosalia is so young, so we can see how much her body can stand. I hope this works, honestly." Lilac said.

"Will Rosa be like this forever though?" Hope demanded, "Will she lose her body for an entire day just so she can use her Semblance?"

"No. As Rosalia gets older, her body will adjust as well as grow stronger. At some point, she'll be able to go from channeling to herself in a second. Who knows what else this Semblance has in store for her." Lilac explained.

"That sounds kinda ominous." Sazh pointed out.

"No, it's actually hopeful. Rosalia is the first Mage to ever have this ability. Etro chooses each Mage's Semblance because they will _need _it. Etro believes Rosalia needs this ability and so she gave it to her. Nobody knows what she'll be able to do with it but we know it is _meant for her_." Lilac answered.

"Then why do you need to manipulate _plants_?" Lightning asked, her tone incredulous.

"Because," Lilac allowed a mischievous smile to cross her features. "how else was I supposed to stop PSICOM airships when they began the Purge?"

The next morning, the party continued on until they reached water and they all watched as a giant fish fal'Cie jumped out.

"They grow them big here." Lightning commented.

"That fal'Cie protects the waterfront." Vanille explained.

"Must think we came to stir up trouble." Fang added.

"Well if that's what it thinks, uh…shouldn't we probably be heading off now?" Sazh asked nervously. Just then, the fal'Cie began to glow.

"Uh…looks like it's a little late for that." Hope commented nervously.

"Well, good thing I'm still here." Lilac grinned as she cracked her knuckles.

"Thing looks pretty confident too." Snow noted as he crossed his arms.

"It should be clumsy out of the water. If we can get it to follow us onto dry land-" Just then, several pieces of land rose from the water with a bunch of minions on them. "Okay, guess that's not happening." Lightning stated sarcastically as her strategy failed before she even tried it.

"No time like the present! Let's go!" Lilac grinned as she jumped into action.

"Lady Lilac!" Fang cried as she, Vanille and Sazh followed the Manipulation Mage.

"We've got these guys; you take the others!" Sazh cried as he took out his pistols and instantly casted Fire, knocking one minion back.

"I think it's time these guys chilled out!" Lilac grinned as she casted Blizzard, somehow even freezing Sazh's remaining flames.

"Vanille!" Fang cried as she ran forward.

"On it!" Vanille cried as she threw her staff forward, wrapping the ends around a minion, giving Fang a chance to cut off its head.

"Vanille!" Sazh and Fang cried in worry suddenly. As the redhead began to turn around, a dagger flew past her and embedded itself in the head of a minion that had been about to hit Vanille. The three looked at Lilac as she threw another dagger at a minion and it exploded into fire as it dug into its arm.

"What?" The Manipulation Mage questioned as she noticed her group's looks. "Most Mages carry a weapon so their spells reach further. Daggers are my way; swords are Rosalia's." Just then, Fang and Sazh casted Fire and Ruin at the same time, taking out a minion that had been about to strike Lilac.

"We've got your back too." Sazh smiled before he shot off several bullets while Vanille defended him. They paused, however, when Lilac casted Aero, causing a huge wave of fog to cover the strip of land they were on and Fang finished off the minions.

Turning, the party spotted Lightning, Hope and Snow walking towards them. As the parties met up, Lilac spoke up.

"Well, time for Rosalia to come back. I hope to see you all again." Lilac smiled before she bowed to the party again. "Please, watch over my granddaughter. That is the only wish I shall ever ask of you."

"We shall grant it, Lady Lilac." The party stared as _Snow_, of all people, bowed to the Manipulation Mage, his face deadly serious. "We will _all _make sure your granddaughter remains alright." Lilac smiled as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Thank you." She choked out before she lifted her hands to her heart and began to glow. She floated up into the air and her voice began to change.

_"I was never right for the hero type of role ... I admit it  
With my heart shivering in fear  
I can see today's reflected in each past tear_

_Even so, it has been calling the heavens to me  
But I cannot hide all the emptiness inside my fleeting heart_

_Once in my dreams I rose and soared  
No matter how I'm knocked around or beaten down  
I will stand up, restored_

_All of my love has yet to wake  
I know your strength is what I lack  
You've got my back and know that I've got yours_

_I have you to thank for lighting up the dark  
Because you're here with me  
Our dreams will soar free forever_

_(I wanna always be with you ... I give you everything I have)"_

The party watched as Rosalia floated back down to the ground and, instead of falling, merely stumbled before she straightened up.

"How do you feel?" Hope asked, concerned.

"…I feel…better than last time." Rosalia grinned, though she appeared tired, she wasn't as exhausted as she was last time and the entire party breathed a sigh of relief before they walked on, setting up camp as they noticed the sky darkening.

* * *

_All I have to say is that when Snow and Lightning walked off together that night, Fang left none of us alone about her new bet. Honestly, I didn't care, I spent the night trying to ignore the song playing a single line in my head over and over, starting to sound clearer and I would swear I could almost hear a second line as the night began to end._

* * *

As soon as the sun rose, the party was off again.

"Hey, look at that!" Vanille cried before she ran forward as the party approached a tower. "We get through there, and we'll be in Oerba."

"You're almost home." Snow smiled.

"Yep!" Vanille chirped. Rosalia felt a presence react to Snow's words as she heard the song again.

_"__Nothing left to fear l'Cie_

_Cradled in eternity"_

She gasped as she finally made out the second line and ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm down and focus on her surroundings.

"Doesn't exactly look like it's gonna be a leisurely stroll." Sazh commented, placing his hands on his hips. Suddenly, a fal'Cie flew past the party.

"A fal'Cie!" Vanille gasped.

"Oh, so we just head through this fal'Cie's lair to get to Oerba, right?" Hope said.

"Are you honestly surprised?" Rosalia asked her boyfriend.

"No." Hope sighed, hanging his head.

"What's another fal'Cie at this point, huh?" Lightning asked rhetorically.

* * *

The party entered Taejin's Tower when Vanille suddenly paused.

"I'm not the only one hearing that, am I?" She asked as she looked around nervously.

"No, uh…it couldn't be them. Could it?" Sazh asked as the party looked around.

"I don't know. It's weird, like voices in my head." Hope commented.

"I sense…another presence." Rosalia said as she entwined her fingers together.

"I hear it." Fang stated. "'Your presence here draws the tyrant's gaze. Leave this place at once.'"

"Not very welcoming, are they?" Sazh asked sarcastically.

"We can't leave, this is the only way for us to get through." Vanille argued. "Please! Help us."

"'As you wish. Look for us, and the way will open.'" Fang translated. As the dark haired woman spoke, the statue moved, striking the ground with its sword. The room began to spin until it stopped, revealing a ride and a portal for the party.

"That was easy enough." Snow grinned arrogantly.

"You never know. Could be a trap." Hope warned.

"Could be. Don't see now stairs though. Do you?" Sazh pointed out.

"Nope. This is our ride-bumpy or not." Fang stated.

"Looks like we need a little blind faith for this." Rosalia said as she whispered a quiet prayer to Etro as the party approached the ride. As soon as her hands fell to her sides, Hope took one in his own in order to reassure her, which caused her to smile.

* * *

The party ascended the tower tier by tier, by fulfilling missions set up by the fal'Cie in order to move up as well as defeating any monsters in their way. As the party walked, they cried out as the fal'Cie flew right beside them.

"Great. Here we go again!" Fang cried as she readied her spear.

"Can't take a hint." Snow said in disappointment, his fists clenched tightly.

"You're one to talk." Lightning quipped as she held her gunblade at the ready. Suddenly, the statues that gave them missions appeared and attacked the fal'Cie.

"I'll be damned!" Sazh cheered. The fal'Cie flew up and the statues faced the party.

"Are they sad?" Vanille asked. The question was never answered as the statues raised their swords and vanished.

"Guess we'll never know." Rosalia shrugged as she sheathed her swords.

"Well, I guess the way is open now." Lightning stated.

* * *

The party continued up, completing more missions in order to move up. As they walked across another platform when the fal'Cie flew close again.

"Pick on something your own size!" Sazh cried, waving his pistols in the air. As the fal'Cie came towards him, the father cried, "My bad!" The three statues appeared, however, to defend the party again. The fal'Cie knocked two back but the third sliced another part of its tail away and it flew off.

"They saved us again." Hope gasped in shock.

"Yeah." Vanille breathed out.

"Who'd have thought they'd side with us?" Rosalia asked with a soft smile. The last statue floated in front of the party.

"You want to help us?" Vanille asked the statue, shocked. The statue held its sword at its side and held its arm out, looking at another statue, before it vanished. "He's gone." Vanille sighed, sadly.

"Let's just count our blessings. The way's clear." Snow grinned.

"Right." Hope agreed.

"Let's go." Rosalia smiled, reminding the party of her grandmother in that moment.

* * *

The party finally reached a circular platform that raised them to the top tier. They looked around when Snow noticed something.

"Hey, look!" The hero pointed. The party turned and watched as the fal'Cie landed in front of them.

"It's acting strange." Lightning noted, taking a battle stance.

"He must be weak from losing his tail." Fang explained as she held her spear tightly. The fal'Cie began to glow as it opened up.

"Yeah? Looks plenty feisty to me!" Snow grinned, pumping his fists together.

"He's bluffing to scare us off. Let's just go with that, alright?" Hope suggested. "Come on! We can do this!"

"I think I can cut this down a little bit. Stand back!" Rosalia cried as she placed a hand on her right wrist. A silver crescent moon appeared below the Mage as she held her crystal before she threw it in the air. As it fell back down to her, the Mage cut it with her swords and a portal opened, revealing Valefor as she flew down beside her Master. "Let's do this!" Rosalia cried.

The Eidolon sent out a super charged beam that exploded underneath the fal'Cie, Dahaka. Dahaka tried to strike back but Valefor simply flew out of the way, instead using Sonic Wings, sending a shock wave at the fal'Cie, dealing a lot of damage and causing delay.

"Time to fly, girl!" Rosalia cried as Valefor flew towards her and allowed her to climb on. The Eidolon flapped her wings, sending bursts of air at Dahaka, who was already moving slower than normal. Rosalia placed her hands on Valefor and the Eidolon breathed out a strong beam of light that weakened the fal'Cie even more. "That's enough for now. Thanks for the help!" With that, Valefor vanished.

Fang and Snow charged first, Lightning not that far behind them as Sazh, Hope, Vanille and Rosalia began to cast Fire, Blizzard, Cure and Thunder all at once.

"Lightning!" Snow cried and the soldier used the hero's cupped hands to attack the fal'Cie from above.

"Watch it!" Fang cried as she casted Ruin while Rosalia cut at Dahaka's legs. Sazh fired a rain of bullets, allowing the Mage to escape as unharmed as possible, Vanille curing her right after. The redhead then threw her staff forward, catching the fal'Cie and bringing it to the ground.

"Now!" Vanille cried and Hope threw his Thunder charged boomerang. The spell casted as soon as it touched the fal'Cie and Lightning attacked, casting Sparkstrike right after. Snow casted Blizzard, allowing the soldier to escape as Hope and Vanille casted spell after spell as they stood back to back. At the same time, Sazh covered Snow as the hero punched at the Dahaka repeatedly. Rosalia and Fang threw their swords and spear, respectively, and the Mage held her hand out, causing a small beam of light to shoot out and finish the fal'Cie off. Dahaka vanished and the party looked around in awe afterwards.

"Look!" Fang pointed and the party watched as their ride came back.

"Nice!" Sazh grinned. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the statue from before reappeared.

"Look who's back!" Snow grinned.

"He's saying thanks." Vanille giggled.

"'At last, we are free.'" Fang translated, "'We go now, to hunt down evil where it hides.'" Hope stepped towards the statue as he spoke.

"So I guess that means there are still more monsters like that one out there." He commented.

"Sounds like it. Somewhere out there on Gran Pulse." Lightning agreed.

"I swear, as the Mage of the Past, that I will help you defeat the evil on Gran Pulse." Rosalia swore as she bowed to the statue, her hand over her heart. The statue looked at the Mage before it vanished.

"Gone just like that. For a big hunk of rock, that thing sure can move!" Sazh commented with a smile.

"Guess they're just doing what they can too. Trying to 'save the world'." Fang said.

"Yeah, well, it's not all on them. Last I checked, we are still in this fight." Lightning reminded the dark haired woman.

"Oerba's right down there, isn't it?" Hope asked as he, Sazh and Rosalia walked towards the edge.

"Yep." Vanille nodded. "Mine, Fang and Tikal's home!"

"So what's it like?" Snow asked.

"Well, it's kind of small. But it's warm and green, and very naturey!" Vanille explained.

"Naturey isn't a word, Vanille." Rosalia said, however her voice sounded like someone else's as her eyes flashed blue green and her hair had a red tint. Vanille stared at her descendent in wide eyed shock.

"Around the fal'Cie, it was flowers as far as you could see, huh?" Fang changed the subject. Vanille nodded in agreement.

"View from here ain't so rosy, I'm sorry to say." Sazh said from his spot overlooking Oerba.

"You want to wait here?" Lightning asked Vanille as the redhead's expression fell.

"No. I need to see for myself." Vanille stated, firmly. The party followed the Oerba natives and they all overlooked their home. "It's all gone."

"Every trace of color." Fang said, her voice as sad as Vanille's. "We're chasing shadows. This whole idea of losing our brands is hopeless!" Rosalia gasped as she heard the song again, echoing in her ears.

"There's got to be a way." Snow insisted.

_"__Nothing left to fear l'Cie"_

"Let's keep on looking. That's what we came here for." Hope added. "We all agreed, and now we're here."

_"__Cradled in eternity"_

"You think…you think it's really possible?" Vanille asked, hope beginning to enter her voice. Hope took her hand, bringing it up between them in order to reassure her.

_"__Shore of sand, your fate awaits"_

"Sure. Anything is." Hope stated, completely believing in his words. Vanille smiled at his words, bringing a smile to Hope's face.

_"__Oh surrender in the light"_

"Besides," Rosalia said as she stepped forward and took Hope's other hand in her own. "you've got us and, together, we can do anything, right?"

"Right." Vanille and Hope nodded in unison, smiling at the Mage.

_"__Nothing left to fear l'Cie"_

"There's no going back." Lightning said to Fang.

_"__Cradled in eternity"_

"You don't think I know that?" Fang asked rhetorically.

_"__Shore of sand, your fate awaits"_

"It's time to face Oerba." Vanille said, determined, as the party turned and began to walk down so they could reach her home.

_"__Oh surrender in the light"_

* * *

_We were ready for whatever we would find in Oerba…at least, that's what we thought._

* * *

**Hey guys, I'm back! Man, it took me several days to write this chapter but I did it! I was originally going to include Oerba too but I felt it'd make the chapter ****_too _****long. This chapter is over 10,000 words so I'm pretty happy! And we met a bunch of new Mages this time. So, Lilac belongs to ShadowPhoenix34, ****Ayxzs and ****Zyzantlyia belong to Xyzantylzethyrioses, Kai belongs to ChaosDancer12 and Fenna belongs to me. Also, for Mages, I made a mistake in counting so Ramona is no longer a Mage in this story, Lilac replaced her. Anyways, thanks to FayValentine123 (I'm glad, and I hope I don't disappoint.), Xyzantylzethyrioses (True, but sometimes I don't know how to do it so I don't. I'll try to do that more often though now. I'm glad and I hope these fights are good too, please let me know. I'm glad you liked the Semblance, I hope I developed it a little better in this chapter. Also, please tell me I wrote Ayxzs right! If I did anything wrong with her, tell me immediately and I will fix her! I took a little liberty with her story though, I hope you don't mind. It's just so it fits into this universe.), CatLoverx33 (I'm glad you're enjoying it!), ChaosDancer12 (I'm glad, that makes me feel better on how I'm writing Kai based on what you gave me.), Tsukiko Nanami, Disneygirl125, patamon642, ddvire15, CleverAmusing and Melissa Fairy for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 3,245 readers! Okay, so the first song sung is Reset, it originally belongs to the creators of Okami, the video game, and the lyrics belong to AlaiaSkyhawk on YouTube. The second song is from Sword Art Online and is titled Ignite and the lyrics belong to Monistar on YouTube. The third song is, again, Crossing Field from SAO and the lyrics belong to LeeandLie on YouTube. The song that is sung at the end is Dust to Dust from FFXIII and will come into play in the next chapter. Oh and the one bolded section, the one with the Mages in Valhalla, is bolded because Rosalia has no idea that happened so anything concerning Valhalla will be bolded like that. That's everything I think so leave a review to let me know what you think! Later!**


	10. IMPORTANT AN, PLEASE READ, DO NOT SKIP

**Okay, first off, this AN exists only because I forgot to put this note in the previous chapter.**

**Second, EVERY READER MUST READ THIS IT IS TOO IMPORTANT TO SKIP BECAUSE YOU ARE IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING IF YOU DON'T REGARDING PAIRINGS.**

**Okay, now that that's out of the way, here's what you guys need to know: due to the fact that Rosalia changes aspects of the game and I want to kind of challenge myself by writing something completely non-canon, there are at least two sub-pairings in this story that may get me flames so I am letting ALL OF YOU know now what they are so I can avoid all of that and stop wasting some readers' time.**

**THIS STORY'S SUB-PAIRINGS ARE NOEL/SERAH AND SNOW/LIGHTNING. I REPEAT, THIS STORY'S SUB-PAIRINGS ARE NOEL/SERAH AND SNOW/LIGHTNING.**

**For those of you who don't like those pairings, I apologize, but please either stop reading now or stop when we reach the end of FFXIII.**

**HOWEVER, YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW THAT THESE SUB-PAIRINGS WILL NOT BE THE MAIN FOCUS. THEY WILL HAVE SCENES WHERE I BRING UP THEIR RELATIONSHIP OR HIGHLIGHT IT OR HAVE ROSALIA MENTION NOTICE SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THAT IS ALL IT WILL BE BECAUSE THIS STORY IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, ROSALIA'S STORY AND THAT STORY IS INTERTWINED WITH HOPE'S SO THAT PAIRING, BEING THE MAIN ONE, WILL GET THE BIGGEST SPOTLIGHT. BUT THROUGHOUT FFXIII-2 AND LR THERE WILL BE MENTIONS AND REFERENCES TO NOEL/SERAH AND SNOW/LIGHTNING. THIS STORY'S EPILOGUE WILL FEATURE THOSE PAIRINGS IN SCENES AND MENTIONS AS WELL.**

**I'm sorry if this turns you away from my story but I do understand. However, if you don't care if I change the canon that much, even if your pairing is no longer a main one, I welcome you. It is your guys' choice in the end but I wanted to let all of you know so I can avoid any anger and you guys can avoid any disappointment.**

**Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.**


	11. Chapter 11:IMPORTANT NOTICE

**I KNOW THIS ISN'T AN UPDATE BUT YOU MUST READ THIS OR YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I NEED YOU TO KNOW.**

**Hey guys so it's been a real long while since I've updated anything and I just want to make a few things clear. 1. I am not discontinuing this story nor is it on a hiatus. 2. The reason I have not updated is because of my laptop. The screen broke and unless my laptop is connected to an exterior screen, which I don't have. 3. I WILL NOT BE DISCONTINUING THIS STORY. All I am asking is that you guys be patient while I try to balance my life, which is hectic at the moment, and find time to both buy a new laptop, set it up, re download ALL of my files and find time to start updating again. Please don't give up on me or my stories, just give me time. If I take longer than expected, then I will apologize, now and when I can update finally. If you decide not to, then I understand and respect your descision. To those of you who will wait for me, I PROMISE that the wait will be completely worth it.**

**Thank you all for reading this. I will see you all again as soon as I possibly can.**

**-WolfieRed23.**


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